Why I < 3...DanceBlue!

So tomorrow is hands down my favorite day of the year. Forget Christmas, forget birthdays and believe it or not even after 64 front row games straight in Rupp. NOTHING compares to DanceBlue.

At 8pm tomorrow night til 8pm on Saturday it's all about the dancers and the kids. As it should be. But right now I want to explain why DanceBlue is SO incredibly important to myself and so many others behind the scenes...

The leadership experience reminds me of the NCAA student athlete commercials when they say, “Almost all of us go pro in something other than sports.” The same goes for DanceBlue. The past and current leadership teams of DanceBlue will most likely go on to careers not in philanthropy and pediatric cancer. (Unless you're my heroes like Dave and Shelby:) We are lawyers, politicians, social workers, financial analysts, teachers, nurses, executive assistants and A designer :) But when you get us all into a room, we are a group of the hardest working people we all know with a passion for doing things right and the best. That's what DanceBlue is all about. Doing RIGHT by these kids and families when they need our help the most and stopping at NOTHING to make sure we do our BEST to raise as much money, support and awareness as possible.

So with that here are the top 5 reasons why DanceBlue is so special to me. 

5. True Teamwork

It’s an organization that demonstrates that people can really make a difference and that we do our best work in teams. Even from our humble beginning of 180 dancers it took a team (a much smaller team:) but a team none the less! This has been a once and a lifetime opportunity for our leadership team to bond and write the next chapter of history in DanceBlue. It's rare to find so may passionate and loving people who share the same vision with 150% commitment. Embrace it and share it!

4. "Can Do" Attitude

So I can't remember if it was last year or the year before, but as I walked onto campus for the first time headed to DanceBlue I was overwhelmed instantly with tears at the sight of DanceBlue signs on the light posts. A bit dramatic maybe, but in year one and two, that was still too expensive our our lil'pockets! Now we have Coach Cal tweeting about DB, ribbons showing up at basketball games and mini dance marathons all around town! Now it takes a great university to support all these efforts but it also takes leaders with visions of the future and future leaders to make those visions a reality!

3. Legacy

My sophomore year at Kentucky I was asked by an advisor what my legacy would be at the University of Kentucky. I thought at first that meant I had to do something amazing so people would remember my name. But through DanceBlue I learned that my name wasn't all that important. It was passing on what me and our team believed in so much. Our legacy was about making a lasting impact long after we graduated. Our legacy is DanceBlue and I could not be any prouder. 

2. The Advisors

To be a collegiate advisor I think is one of the most selfless acts. Let’s be honest, the people you are dealing with on a daily basis are all students who want nothing more than to be and do their best. Most over programmed college students thrive on having their ideas heard and supported. You all take a back seat, guiding us when required or asked and serving as our mentors. We have had all the right mentors at all the right times with DanceBlue. I am so thankful to each and everyone of you. Especially to Jennifer Mynear. We all have our own experiences and different reasons why we DanceBlue, but Jennifer had the vision to rally our experiences together and remind us that we don't have to take this sitting down. We need to stand up and fight for our kids.

And that brings me to #1...

DanceBlue is about taking care of our own kids on our own campus who need our help. They bleed blue just like us and they have the right to grown up and attend the university they choose when they are our age. 

When I would visit the clinics before studio on Tuesday and Thursdays I was so surprised to find they were the most positive people I would meet throughout my day. It gave me amazing perspective . The kids taught me not to sweat the small stuff and I had a constant reminder that I was working hard for them. I will always and forever be about the kids.

And I sign off wishing nothing but the best of luck to the 2011 leadership team and their committee members! Thank you to EVERYONE who is helping out this year and I can't wait to see and meet all of you this weekend!

FTK,

~Amberlee

To learn more or to donate to DanceBlue please visit www.danceblue.org!