Welcome to DB2024! I’m Caroline Sumner, and I serve as the Overall Chair for DanceBlue 2024. I’m a cheerleader and advocate for our kids and families in the Clinic, committee members, dancers, Mini Marathons, Clinic staff, community members, volunteers, and supporters. From the final moment of DanceBlue 2023, I’ve had the honor of seeing the hard work, dedication, and compassion shown by so many in support of this cause.
Each year, DanceBlue fundraises to support the kids of Kentucky who are facing the hardest battles of their lives. Watching the campus and community join together to support these kiddos is awe-inspiring. At DanceBlue, we spread joy to those fighting, persevere in memory of the lives lost, and celebrate every victory until the battle against pediatric cancer is won.
We are grateful for your interest, and I’m excited to share more about this cause that means so much to all of us.
Who is DanceBlue? Jarrett Mynear is DanceBlue, I am DanceBlue, you are DanceBlue. The clinic kids, their families, and clinic staff are all DanceBlue. The committee members, dancers, volunteers, Mini-Marathon students, and crowd members are each DanceBlue. Any person who is introduced to this organization and its mission are immediately and wholeheartedly consumed by the love and joy of DanceBlue.
Where is DanceBlue? It’s the spirit that lives in the hearts of everyone that it impacts. It runs through the clinic halls and parades through campus throughout the year. It watches and cheers as the bell is triumphantly rung after months upon months of treatment and it weeps with us during Memorial Hour.
When is DanceBlue? It is always. It is bright and bursting on Marathon weekend, but the torch burns every day of the year. DanceBlue is forever–the magic will live on for as long as we keep Jarrett’s dream alive. The magic stays alive in the friendships we’ve formed and the family we’ve built through this cause. DanceBlue is in the joyful moments, the moments that bring healing. DanceBlue is in the heartbreaking moments, when we need joy the most.
Why is DanceBlue? DanceBlue exists because of love, because of hope, and inspiration, and joy. It is born out of the compassion of Jarrett Mynear and lives on in the resilience and determination of every child who walks through the clinic doors. It is fueled by the hard work of clinic staff and enthusiasm of dancers, volunteers, and committee members. It continues to grow because of the passion and love it incites in all those who encounter it.
What is DanceBlue? 19 years of making a difference in the lives of the kids and their families in the DanceBlue Clinic; 19 years of joy, hope, resilience, and love. Above all, DanceBlue is about the kids in the Clinic. Everything we do is inspired by them, and with their best interests in our hearts. DanceBlue is a mission, a mission to honor Jarrett Mynear’s final request: “do something to help the Clinic.”
The kids in the Clinic inspire like no other. They are the heart that keeps DanceBlue going. Until we dance in celebration of a cure, we call on you to join us in our fight against pediatric cancer and to support these kids and families. Come to our office, shoot us an email, participate in an event, and get involved. With your help, we can continue to spread the mission of DanceBlue and support the kids and families in the Clinic.
If you’re looking to get more involved with DanceBlue, we have several opportunities coming up! We are hosting our annual Silent Auction on October 6th and the DB5K on October 8th. If you want to learn more about becoming a dancer, come out to DanceBlue U on October 12th and sign up for team registration before October 19th. Information on all of these events and how to register can be found on our social media!
I look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you in advance for all of your support!
Joy Prevails,
Caroline Sumner
