Winter 2014

Winter SpotlightStay up to date on what your peers have been up to! Know an alumnus/alumna who has

been doing something awesome? Send your nomination to izabellazucker@gmail.com fornext season’s newsletter.

Collette Toney Hannah Wilson

With Dance Marathon just around the corner,we can think of no better alumna to highlightthan former morale dancer and HomecomingQueen, Collette Toney. Collette joined the Morale Committee hersenior year and proved it’s never too late to havean impact FTK. When asked about her experiencewith UGA Miracle, Collette said, “Being apart of Miracle [last] year provided me momentsthat I would never forget…the dance competitionon the parking deck…making up the dancesand watching hundreds of people do them…itwas so wonderful to be a part of the spirit andpulse of Dance Marathon.” That spirit still remains within Collette asshe continues to be FTK despite her whirlwindschedule. She is currently pursuing her Mastersin the College Student Affairs Administrationprogram at UGA, works in Greek Affairs for hergraduate assistantship at Georgia Tech, and willbe taking on her practicum next semester as amentor in the UGA Athletic Department. Though her spare time may be limited, Collettestill dedicates herself to helping UGA Miraclebe the most successful it can be. She utilizes herwell-known presence on campus to promoteMiracle’s events and encourage her peers toget involved and raise money for the kids. Hercontinued support and encouragement are whatmake Collette such a caring, valued alumna. Wemiss you, Collette!

Hannah Wilson has gone above-and-beyondher role as Morale Committee Member and hasblown us away this year with her passion FTK.Hannah has jumped into her role as a committeemember with unparalleled enthusiasm,despite this being her first year on a committee. She eagerly took on more responsibility andjoined the Dance Sub-Committee within Morale,and has attended every single meeting aswell as every outing and event. Not only doesHannah take part in teaching the morale danceat her own meetings, she has gone to other commit-tee meetings to teach portions of the dance,engaging other Miracle members to get pumpedFTK. But wait, there’s more. Earlier this year, Hannahtook it upon herself to reach out to familyfriends of hers, the McPhail family, and expressthe support that UGA Miracle provides. Thanksto all of Hannah, the McPhail family is officiallyour newest Miracle family, and we could not bemore excited! Morale Co-Chair, Melissa Peterson, describesHannah as, “on fire for the kids every day.Shehas jumped right in and taken initiative in every-thing.” Hannah serves as an inspiration to our entireorganization. If this year is any indication ofwhat is to come from this firepower committeemember, we have some pretty incredible thingsto look forward to.

Miracle at Midnight Tour of Homes

Krispy Kreme Doughnut Dare 5k

On November 14th, UGA Miracle celebrat-ed 100 days until Dance Marathon with an exciting new event that truly captured the spirit of Miracle. The event was held at New Earth Music Hall and made over $1,000 as committees competed in an exciting danc-ing competition. The rave themed event, complete with glow sticks, fun outfits, and a high energy DJ, proved to be a great way to ignite the countdown to Dance Marathon.

UGA Miracle welcomed the holiday season with our annual Classic City Tour of Homes. On Sunday, December 8th, sororities and many fraternities on Milledge Avenue opened up their beautifully decorated homes to the Athens community and surrounding areas. Not even the rainy weather kept a record number of visitors from enjoying the wonder-ful homes, amazing decorations, fun sponsor-ship tables, and lively holiday atmosphere.

The third annual Krispy Kreme Doughnut Dare 5k will take place on January 26th from 8:00am-11:00am at Stegeman Coliseum. This 5k with a twist has proved to be one of UGA Miracle’s most successful events with the number of participants increasing every year. Volun-teers, runners, and spectators line the University of Georgia campus to watch this light-hearted run and who can succeed at taking “the Dare.” Want to join in on the fun? Register at http://5kdare.ugamiracle.org/index.html to join us as we take the dare for the kids!

Events This Season

Look out for these exciting new additions for alumni at Dance Marathon!

6:00pm- Sanford Stadium The cure for your withdrawals from Sanford Stadiumhas arrived. Join us at 6:00pm* as we storm thefield of Sanford Stadium and frolic in all of its glory.There may even be a few surprises waiting for us onthe field…you don’t want to miss this!

*Please meet in the lobby of the 1st floor of the TateStudent Center at 5:50pm so we can gather everyonetogether before heading to the field.

6:30pm- Ricky James Spirit Award During the Alumni Hour of Dance Marathon, the Alumni Connectionwill honor the achievements of an outstanding senior with the first everRicky James Spirit Award. This award honors the life of Ricky James and his courageous spiritthat never gave up. Ricky battled cancer for several years before passingin 2010. Throughout it all, he brought joy and happiness to everyone hemet. Ricky was the ultimate fighter. Nominations are rolling in and the recipient will be chosen by a panelof alumni consisting of Ali Gant, Laura Kaplan, Elyse Tremble, JulieWade, McKenzie Lawson, and Cole Phillips. We are thrilled to have our alumni present this award to one deservingsenior and look forward to this very special moment of Dance Marathon.

7:00pm- Alumni and Parents’ Reception This year, Dance Marathon will host a combined reception for ouralumni as well as the parents of our Miracle families to give everyonemore time to reconnect and relax away from the hustle and chaos thatis Dance Marathon. Be the first in line to grab dinner in Tate Grand Hall at 7:00pm, thenhead downstairs to Tate Reception Hall (first floor of Tate, just an ele-vator ride down from Grand Hall) for coffee, desserts, and other treats. We can’t wait to reminisce and celebrate the magic of Dance Marathon!

Dance Marathon 2014“They’re the Center of Our Adventure”

UGA Miracle’s 19th annual Dance Marathon benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will take place from Saturday, February 22nd at 10 a.m. until Sunday, February 23rd at 10 a.m. at the Tate Student Center’s Grand Ballroom. Over 1,200 registered participants will devote a full 24 hours dancing, laughing, and honoring the countless children and families who spend days, weeks, and even years in the hospitals of Children’s. This year’s theme, “They’re the Center of Our Adventure,” will encompass travel and adventure elements that reflect the journey that unifies us all. All of us have a story, whether it’s a Miracle child battling an illness at Children’s or a college student looking to find a family at UGA. Thanks to the care and excellence of Chil-dren’s, the opportunities to seize the adventure of living have been given back to the countless families they treat. Join us at this year’s Dance Marathon as we celebrate the hope, joy, and miracles of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with the people we cherish most. Enjoy catered meals every four hours, performances from groups such as The Redcoat Band, the Day Rehab Dancers from Children’s, a hypnotist show, and many more.

$415,000 For the first time in UGA Miracle history, we are announc-ing our organization-wide fundraising goal: $415,000 for the kids. Why $415,000? Every year, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals challenges all Dance Marathons across the coun-try to tackle a 20% increase. Our target of $415,000 is a 20% increase from the 2013 fundraising total of $346,286.13. This goal is our Mount Everest, our ultimate feat waiting to be conquered. With the most fired-up, passionate mem-bers we’ve ever seen, we cannot wait to reach the summit!

Our Mount Everest

Family Updates

CIRU Updates

• The Seagraves family (seen below) spoke at our

most recent Navigate session on January 7th and touched

the hearts of everyone in theroom.

• The Adams family tooktime out of their busyschedule to share their

inspirational story and eatfroyo with the Morale com-

mittee on Monday night.

• We are thrilled to welcome our newest family, TheMcPhails, into our UGA Miracle community! ReeceMcPhail is a 10-year-old boy who doesn’t let his battlewith leukemia keep him from being his sports-lovingself. His parents say Reece is an absolute blast to be

around, and that he constantly keeps them laughing.We cannot wait to see Reece and his family at their first

ever Dance Marathon!

• Thompson Ritter (seen above) is resting at home and recovering

from his surgery in early November. Thompson’s surgery included an

anterior fusion and replacement of a rod in his spine using

one of his ribs. What a fighter!

· This year’s Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas Desserts

provided to Scottish Rite had the largest turnout the hospital has

ever seen!

· Each hospital visit this year has featured a Staff Appreciation portion to support not only the families treated at CHOA, but the men and women who work tirelessly to better the lives of

their patients.

· UGA Miracle took part in the 17th Annual Rehab

Reunion (seen below) where Executive Board Members spent the day having fun with former and current

patients of the CIRU.

· The Hospital Relations Commit-tee has served Children’s Health-

care of Atlanta with fourteen fun, themed hospital visits this

year.

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