Kernel Editorial Board

This past weekend, more than 600 students came together to dance for 24 hours, all to help raise money for cancer research.

The 5th annual DanceBlue event raised a staggering $636,638.58 for the Golden Matrix fund, which supports the Pediatric Oncology Clinic at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. This year’s total was over $30,000 more than last year’s. Anytime a group of college students band together to raise over half a million dollars for cancer, it should catch the attention of those in not only the city or state, but in the nation as well.

What’s more is that in the event’s five-year history, it has already raised more than $2 million for the Golden Matrix fund.

And in case John Calipari hadn’t flexed his philanthropic muscle enough during his Hoops for Haiti telethon, he took time to make an appearance despite a noon game on the following day.

Calipari wasn’t the only star to make an appearance at the event, however. DanceBlue stresses the fact that its real stars are the kids who everyone comes together to dance for.

What some forget is that DanceBlue doesn’t start at the beginning of the marathon and end when it’s over. Months of planning go into organizing the event, raising money and ensuring everything runs smoothly. Students with full course loads and commitments to other campus programs still found the time to dedicate to ensuring the event would have the success that it did.

DanceBlue is a chance for students who may not have otherwise crossed paths to work together for a common cause. The students’ motives are selfless and they avoid ever having the focus shifting to their own efforts for the cause.

To see a video of what went down during the 24-hour dance marathon for the kids visit www.50.63.25.108.