When the coronavirus hit our campus on March 10th, no student, staff member or faculty member walked away untouched. For most of us, the rapid change that followed the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was shocking. We gave up our routines, we traveled home, we said goodbye to friends and the comforts that we had learned to take for granted. Over the course of a week, it felt like the campus we knew and loved had slipped from our grasps.

Even UDance, which has been a popular campus event for fourteen years, felt the effects of coronavirus. Each year, the event invites thousands of UD students to gather in the Bob Carpenter Sports Center for a fundraising marathon benefiting childhood cancer patients. However, an event of such size quickly became unimaginable in a pandemic-stricken world, forcing the UDance executive board to reimagine the event they had spent nearly a year organizing.

On March 10th, UDance officially canceled their physical celebration, which was set to take place less than 2 weeks later on March 22nd. For the first time in over a decade, there would be no culminating event celebrating the funds raised by students for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. However, UDance wasn’t ready to give up hope of publicly honoring their achievements. In a show of adaptability and commitment to their cause, they instead shifted their celebrations to digital platforms.

“The discussion about cancelling the event started the end of the first week of March,” said Allison Worms, who acted as UDance 2020’s co-executive director alongside Paige Boyadjis. “We began discussed contingency plans and what other options we had. The world we were living in a month ago was so different and everything felt like a distant worry. However, the minute we had a conversation about contingency plans, we kind of knew that UDance wasn’t going to be the same.”

After canceling the event, the UDance executive team spent two weeks brainstorming ways to create a climax that properly celebrated the RSO’s efforts. According to Sara Donnely, who served as UDance’s community outreach director for the 2020 event, keeping a line of communication helped the team get through the difficult turn of circumstances. Though she returned home to Pennsylvania after UD’s cancelations, she still reflects on the last night she spent with her UDance friends with fondness.

“On the Monday night before UDance was canceled, we were all together as a team, and it was the only thing that made us feel okay,” she said.  “Surrounding ourselves with the family we had gathered was the best feeling. It was such a testimony to the relationships this organization gives us.”

With students scattered across the country and social distancing guidelines in place, it was clear to the team that March 22nd would have to consist of a fully digital event. During the weeks leading up to the event, the executive team collaborated on a social media plan that would engage followers and create a sense of closure for the UDance community. On the day UDance was set to take place, they used Instagram stories and video chatting platforms like Facetime and Twitch to keep the team connected.

“We were able to create a very loose schedule of what we wanted the day to look like in advance,” said Worms. “We made posts in recognition of all of our B+ Heroes, and we also had a few videos and Facebook lives of the traditional line dance. We tried to include all of people’s favorite parts of UDance, but on a digital platform.”

Even though they were states apart, having a virtual celebration allowed executive board members to celebrate their efforts over the past year.

“It turned out to be one day that could unite everyone, no matter where they were in the world. On March 22nd, I was constantly on FaceTime with my committee, the exec board and alumni,” said Donnelley. “We all did line dances together, and we kept updating our social media every hour to keep people in the loop.” 

Along with encouraging followers to donate and share their “FTK” spirit, the UDance digital celebration included livestreamed musical performances from Harry Mac and DJ Tropics, who were originally booked to play for a packed stadium of UD students. Instead, they shared their music over Twitch to bring some joy to UDance’s followers.

“We tried to create an experience that was uplifting,” said Paige Paige Boyadjis, co-executive director. “One of the most special parts of UDance in general is that no matter who you are, your gender, your age or your race, UDance is something that can unite people. The situation was challenging, but we thought we could use it as an opportunity for to share some good news and inspire people.”

For seniors like Allison Worms and Paige Boyadjis, the digital event was bittersweet. Though in their hearts they wanted to spend their last UDance at the Bob Carpenter Center, they knew that they had succeeded in creating a memorable experience for the UDance community.

“We had to make the most of a situation that we had close to no control over, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished in this crazy time,” said Worms. “Right now, our focus is to make sure that new co-executives are ready to take on this challenge, and we know they’re going to do great things.”

According to Donnelley, who was recently elected to be co-director of UDance 2021, the personal impact we all feel from COVID-19 demonstrates exactly why holding a digital UDance was so important. Although there is no comparison for a life affected by childhood cancer, Donnelley believes that living through a pandemic as a nation has valuable lessons about the importance supporting children with cancer. As we all struggle with changes in our daily lives due to COVID-19, it’s important to remember and support the families that are fighting cancer in addition to the pandemic. “Kids still get cancer. Now more than ever, it’s important that we come together and fight this. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, families are dealt a hand they can’t control and their whole world stops,” she said.

The final day of UDance is typically the largest day of fundraising, and this year was no exception. On the day of the digital festivities, the UDance executive board proudly announced that the university raised a total of $1,700,117.32 for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, which provides financial assistance to families of kids with cancer nationwide.

“This year, we were able to turn our sadness into determination. I know that attitude is going to be carried over into 2021,” Donnelley said.