THON Weekend 2023 Org Spotlight – Club Cross Country
by Molly Ligon

Written By: Paige Balliet and Anna Janaszek

Club Cross Country is a running club on campus open for everyone to join. This year Club Cross Country Benefiting THON has 6 dancers representing them. Their 6 dancers are Quincey Reese, Aman Mody, Holly Passetti, Rachel Clark, Jake Connolly, and Garrett Campbell. Club Cross Country is paired with 3 families, the Potters, Fishers, and Kaufmans. 

Every year Club XC has their big fundraiser in January called Miles for Smiles. It is a 46 hour treadmill marathon where the runners run 30 minutes each. This is an energy packed weekend with 46 themed hours throughout the weekend. This year some of the hours included Bob Ross hour, friendship bracelet hour, karaoke hour, and so many more. During the weekend our THON families share their stories and we get to make so many more memories with them.

We got the opportunity to interview some of the dancers on the team and asked 3 dancers on the team why they THON:

Garrett Campbell: 

“I THON for more smiles. I THON so that kids can keep waking up, smiling, and making fun memories. I THON for club cross country and our families that support us, the Fishers, Potters, and the Kaufmans.”

Aman Mody: 

“I THON because living is beautiful.”

Jake Connolly:

“I THON so that the families can have more memories with their children.”

Quincey Reese is a 4th year studying in digital and print journalism. When asked “What influenced you to want to dance for club cross country?”, she said, “Club Cross Country is one of the biggest orgs I am a part of, and that’s when I really learned what THON was aside from knowing it existed. The whole team was so excited about THON, and from my first THON weekend on I thought this was really amazing. Over the years and seeing how people show up and stay in the stands for crazy late hours and always wanting to get on the floor to see the dancers and how the dancers push through no matter what made me realize that this is something I want to be a part of.”

Being heavily involved in THON has its benefits, as the org raised $74,521.87, ranking 4th in the general orgs category in a total reveal at the end of THON Weekend 2023. Club Cross Country Benefiting THON’s impact on the THON community, both with their financial support and emotional support to their families, truly does not go unnoticed. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for them during the next fundraising year!