May 2017: Student Spotlight featuring Ryanne Duffy
On NOVAdance
On Saturday, March 25, 2017, one in every eight Villanova students, myself included, attended NOVAdance, a 12 hour dance marathon to benefit the Andrew McDonough B+ (pronounced “Be Positive”) Foundation. Joe McDonough started the foundation in honor of his son Andrew who passed away on July 14, 2007 at age 14. From the day of his diagnosis to the day he passed away, Andrew lived 167 additional days, each of which was underlined with the motto present in Andrew’s B+ blood type, “Be Positive.”
The fundraising and events held by NOVAdance benefit the B+ Foundation and every family that the B+ Foundation helps, but Villanova has a more specific commitment to a group of eight B+ Heroes. B+ Heroes are children affected by pediatric cancer who have received financial and/or emotional support from the B+ Foundation. In addition, each B+ Hero is paired with an organization on Villanova’s campus. These groups give our B+ Heroes a group of students to care for and support them throughout their battle with cancer and even beyond their treatments. They create bonds that help these kids feel loved and supported while dealing with an unimaginable hardship, one that they handle with grace and maturity.
I was lucky enough to be a member of this year’s 42 person NOVAdance Committee as chair of the Morale Committee. The Morale Committee is a group of students who commit to being present and on their feet for the entirety of the dance marathon and who pledge to raise at least $167 in honor of Andrew’s battle. This role was special because I got to work closely with those members of the Villanova community who feel especially passionate about this cause. The Dance Marathon kicked off at 10 am and continued throughout the day with various entertainers and events including live music, Zumba, and a lip sync battle. One of the highlights of the day is our Hero Hour during which Joe McDonough speaks about his relationship to this cause and honors each of Villanova’s B+ Heroes. He not only speaks about the strength in each Hero, but recognizes their siblings and families for being a constant source of support throughout their journey. The day concluded with a reveal of our fundraising total at 9 pm. This was the moment when we announced the amount of money we had fundraised throughout the previous year, a number that had remained a secret from the majority of our committee. In the end, we raised $251,277.31, significantly exceeding the previous year’s total of $167,123.40.
