Written by Ryan Murphy, Olivia Salupo, and Keona Montague

Between the dates of October 23rd and November 8th, The Dream Forward Campaign serves as one of the biggest fundraising events for THON™. This year we are looking forward to another amazing year of raising money to support the fight against childhood cancer.  

The mission of Dream Forward is to share the collective dream of the day that we are able to dance not in pursuit of a cure, but in celebration of officially finding one. The events and fundraisers in the days leading up to the Dream Forward Campaign all aid in the pursuit of raising $850,000 by the end date, November 8th, to continue the fight against childhood cancer. The Dream Forward Campaign ends in a celebration at the HUB-Robeson Center to celebrate the money raised throughout it at 100 Days ‘Til THON. 

Sophia Filipini is a member of the Entertainment Committee, and we were able to ask her some questions regarding her excitement about Dream Forward this year. The great thing about the Dream Forward Campaign is the number of events and fundraisers that anyone can participate in!  

It’s difficult to pinpoint a favorite event from the entire campaign, but when posed with the question, Sophia’s excitement was aimed towards the THON Women’s Volleyball Match because she enjoys watching the sport and loves “knowing the community is coming together to support a good cause.”  

Another great aspect of the fundraising opportunities is the flexibility of the hours with each fundraising event held at a restaurant or similar location. Sophia was also able to attend the Raising Cane’s Fundraiser and liked knowing that “if I’m spending my money on Raising Canes, it is going towards a positive organization.” 

Supporting such an amazing cause always pulls at the heartstrings of many students, volunteers, and anyone who follows along with the Dream Forward Campaign. Sophia loved how all the fundraisers and events held were “so accessible for people in the community” and she also included how “other students are able to get involved and support the campaign.”

The next person we interviewed was Steph Malits. Steph is the Fundraising Chair for the Student Council Organization of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS StuCo). When asked what EMS StuCo does for Dream Forward she said, “they hold events with their THON families and have events to bond with the children and inspire other club members to raise money for their cause.” 

Steph also mentioned what EMS StuCo does for 100 Days ‘Til THON saying, “each year our THON executives create a new design for 100 Days ‘Til THON shirts and we sell them within our college. We put one aside each year to add to a whole quilt collage of all the different designs that we have hung up year-round to remind people what we are working for.”  

We ended the interview by asking Steph why she chose to be a part of THON. She said, “I THON because I’ve had a neighbor, who was a mother-figure to me, pass away from breast cancer. She inspires me every day because from the moment she got her diagnosis up till the very end she was still herself out on the golf course with her heartwarming smile and loving personality, laughing along with her friends and just enjoying what she loved best. She taught me that even through the toughest of battles, staying true to yourself is your biggest strength to true happiness. Her memory is what encourages me each day to make a difference to create a better future for our generations.”   

The Dream Forward Campaign brings Committees and Organizations together as they all raise money in hopes for a cure.  

Header Photo: 100 Days ‘Til THON 2022 Total Reveal. Photo by Lyndsay Surkosky