24 Hours with Jordan Muirhead
*Most images taken by the UNDM Media Team
Each year, Huskers across campus join forces for HuskerThon — a celebration of and fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. From talent shows to sharing the event’s impact on families statewide, follow Jordan Muirhead—director of engagement and senior biochemistry and nutrition science/dietetics major—as she takes you through the HuskerThon experience.
9:45 am: I met our VP Marketing Molly Foster to walk from our apartments to the union to start the day! We have become great friends this year!
10:00 am: We meet in centennial to run scripts before the event begins and do some last set-up details.
11:00am: Here is a photo of this year’s management team from my point of view. We have spent countless hours in this room, deliberating, working and laughing together. This was a bittersweet moment before our last meeting.
12:00pm: The BEST team sneaking in a quick photo of the five of us before we head into our last Huskerthon and a team. [pictured left to right: Lexi Goeman, VP programming, Molly Foster, VP Marketing, Bethany Barnwell, VP Finance, Jordan Muirhead VP Engagement, Easton Sckerl, Executive Direction]
1:00pm: Check-in! Our miracle makers arrive and change into their-shirts before we get started!
2:00pm: Miracle Kid introductions!! We had 26 families in attendance today, each family and child was introduced on stage to the 300 students present at the start of the event!
3:00 pm: Let’s learn the morale dance! I oversee our morale directors throughout the year, Meg and Bethany did a phenomenal job keeping spirits high and choreographing this awesome dance both throughout the year and the day of the event.
4:00 pm: Kids Talent Show! This portion of our event truly lets these kids be celebrated for the things they excel at and enjoy rather than their diagnosis. This is my favorite portion of the event. In the second photo you can see Miracle Kid Zayln dancing with his RSO team, PIKE, during his segment of the talent show.
4:30pm: In this game, participants spun a wheel to determine which “punishment” they would face. In this photo, Miracle Kid Alex had just finished pie-ing my recruitment director Marie in the face!
5:00pm: The Kilzer family shares their story about their daughter, Ruth’s journey at Children’s Nebraska.
6:00pm: Time to ride the bull! Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs DeeDee Anderson was in attendance for our corporate dinner and took a photo on the bull with some of our members! Jenna Wakefield, co-director of event operations rides the bull; she did such great work throughout this year to make HuskerThon and reality.
7:00pm: Morale games! Miracle kids compete with their RSO teams in fun games throughout the day, Here is an image of one of them.
8:00pm: I snuck a photo with my team! These girls have made my year so amazing and I was so grateful to have their hard work and support.
9:00pm: Circle of Hope. I had the wonderful opportunity to lead our closing ceremony this year. I remember my first circle as a sophomore and I would have never imagined that I would be leading this beautiful ceremony. This was a moment I will never forget.
10:00pm: Final Reveal. This year we raised a total of $83,702.24 for Children’s Nebraska. This was an amazing feat and I am so proud of this team. However, Dance Marathon is about so much more than the dollars we raise. This team has become my family and these kids my inspiration. I am forever grateful for my experience with the University of Nebraska Dance Marathon.
