Committee Member Spotlight: Morgan Peasley

When I was a freshman, I was afraid to join Dance Marathon. Crazy right? Because Dance Marathon is the furthest thing from scary. But I was new to UNI and didn’t know anyone else in the organization, so I passed up this amazing opportunity.

My sophomore year I started to get my act together. I registered as a dancer and was so excited to be part of this wonderful cause. But I was still scared. Specifically, I was afraid to reach the 6 o’clock hour on the day of the Big Event. During that hour I ended up donating about 20 inches of my hair. That was a pretty big deal for me, but the sense of fulfillment it gave me overpowered any fears I had. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

This year, as a junior, I’m striving to do more. I’m serving on two committees and can’t wait to start doing everything I can For The Kids! But again, part of me is still afraid. I’m afraid that I’m not doing enough. I’m afraid that until childhood illnesses are defeated, I won’t ever be doing enough.

More importantly I’m afraid for our kiddos. I fear that they won’t make it to their first school dance. I fear they won’t have the chance to fall in love for the first time. I fear they won’t reach the milestone of graduating high school and then feel the excitement of going to college. I’m also afraid for the parents of our kiddos. I can’t imagine the heartbreak they felt when learning of their child’s illness, or the constant roller coaster of emotion they have felt every day since then.

Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Dance Marathon, so my fear of not doing enough is pretty constant in my life. But whenever this happens I stop and look around at our Dance Marathon family. This big, fun, motivated, loving family that I am so lucky and proud to be a part of. I remind myself that all our hearts beat for the same cause, because we live #EverydayFTK. My fears are eased knowing that each and every member of this family is fighting so these kiddos have a chance.

If you want to help in the fight, register here for our Big Event on March 4th, 2017 or click here to donate!