On Saturday, March 23, hundreds of students, staff, family members and individuals from the surrounding community all came together under the roof of the Jake Nevin Field House under one cause: to Make Waves of Positivity and raise money to help families that are fighting a case or cases of pediatric cancer.
NOVAdance is a year-long fundraising campaign that all leads up to the 12-hour dance marathon that takes place during the Spring Semester every year. Last year, the organization raised more than $500,000 for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, and leading into this year’s dance marathon, many posed the question: will more be raised this year?
All year, after endless social media graphics, fundraising emails, merch sales, dine out days and more, NOVAdance raised $601,507.81 for the B+ Foundation, breaking the previous record of Villanova fundraising.
The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation is an organization that assists families in need of financial support while a child is fighting pediatric cancer. Pairing B+ Heroes with a variety of organizations at different universities and colleges, this foundation helps these children and families hold a sense of normality during a difficult time in their lives. This year, the Co-Executive Directors of NOVAdance were Caroline Jakubik and Kathryn Scotto.
“My favorite hour every single year is Hero Hour,” Jakubik said. “Hero Hour serves as a reminder that everything we do, we do for our B+ Heroes. Our B+ Heroes are the very heart of NOVAdance and witnessing their special moments on stage is an absolute privilege. My favorite moment this year was discovering that B+ Hero Correll was accepted to Villanova. That is what NOVAdance is all about, giving kids the chance to grow up and achieve their dreams.”
Morale Committee Orange Team Captain Hannah Rongo agreed.
“This year, I loved seeing the entire gym celebrate Correll for being accepted into Villanova,” Rongo said.
There are a variety of levels of involvement individuals can take in NOVAdance, including applying to be on Committee, being a Team Captain to represent another on-campus organization, Morale Committee, a general participant or becoming a Hero Liaison to work directly with the B+ Hero and their family.
“I love being a part of the Morale Committee,” sophomore Kara McGoldrick said. “It is so rewarding going to meetings throughout the year, and raising money for such an amazing cause. I also love how mission-oriented it is. Being motivated to fundraise a minimum of $167, which is a dollar of everyday namesake Andrew McDonough fought his battle, is a reminder to take every moment in and live to help others.”
Each hour of NOVAdance has a different theme, from Broadway to country to live music hour. During one of these hours, B+ Hero Lilly performed for everyone in attendance.
“Lilly’s performance blew me away,” sophomore Nadia Balduf said. “Seeing her up on stage, living her passion for performing made me so emotional, and I am so grateful to have gotten to witness this first hand. I am so proud of her.”
Another fan-favorite is Lip Sync Battle hour, where organizations can put together groups to perform, and whichever organization gets the most votes through Venmo donations wins.
“I love to watch the lip syncs,” sophomore Ryan Levey said. “They always put a smile on my face, and I love seeing the dedication the different groups put into their performances.”
However, for many, reveal hour is the most special, and for a reason. Before the reveal, individuals and organizations who made an extreme impact throughout the year were called to the front to be recognized. This year’s top individual fundraiser was sophomore Grant LeMay, who raised over $14,000 and was spotted doing push-ups throughout the 12-hour marathon for every dollar donated during the day of. Kappa Delta and Pi Kappa Phi were the two highest fundraising Greek Life organizations, and sophomore Hailey Rebak was celebrated as this year’s outstanding Team Captain.
All year, after endless social media graphics, fundraising emails, merch sales, dine out days and more, NOVAdance raised $601,507.81 for the B+ Foundation, breaking the previous record of Villanova fundraising.
“The NOVAdance marathon feels like nothing else,” Jakubik said. “The only way I can describe that day is that it feels like home to me and so many other people. The energy, passion and positivity that filled that room was absolutely incredible and the support of every single person who attended helped us achieve our record-breaking total.”
