Meet the Team: Knight-Thon Management 2022-2023
As students at the University of Central Florida return for fall semester, Knight-Thon is well underway in planning events and initiatives in support of Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. This year’s Management Team is motivated to make an impact and further build their community on campus. To learn more about these incredible student leaders, check out the highlights below.
Sophia Bailoni
Executive Director
Year: Senior
Major/Minor: Entertainment Management with a minor in Business
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon is seeing the change a group of college students can make in our community. The bonds we share are unlike anything else, as we all fight with passion and drive for the same mission; to change kids’ health.
What are you most excited about this year?
I am so excited to see how our organization grows. Last year, we were able to host our 20-hour main event for the first time in two years, in which we were able to re-engage our campus. Now our team can take that knowledge and make it our own. We have an extremely creative board who is ready to reimagine what we know and create new bonds across campus. I am excited to see the impact we are able to make on and beyond our campus.
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
I have been involved in Dance Marathon since fifth grade, when I first raised money for my local children’s hospital by running a small-scale relay. My involvement only continued, and in seventh grade, I helped to plan my middle school’s first mini dance marathon. I stayed involved in high school as a participant but had no intention of continuing in college until I came across Knight-Thon tabling at an event for first year students. It felt like something familiar after I traveled across the country to attend UCF, so I decided to get involved. I started on our event impact team and my sophomore year I joined the morale impact team. I immediately was drawn to the community aspect of Knight-Thon, as it truly is a family. This past year I had the opportunity to be the morale director and had the best year ever leading our morale team. Now, I am honored and excited to spend my senior year being Knight-Thon’s Executive Director.
Lauren Aponte
Community Engagement Manager
Year: Senior
Major/Minor: Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Health Services Administration
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part of dance marathon is the relationships built here. Not only do you make incredible connections with students who have the same passion as you, but you get to meet and build a relationship with inspiring families that have been treated at our hospital. Once you make these connections, you truly realize the impact you have on your community.
What are you most excited about this year?
I think I am most excited to see our organization grow. After slowly coming back from the pandemic, I see our campus eager to become a part of Knight-Thon and join the fight to change kids’ health!
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
My involvement with Dance Marathon all started with a little encouragement from my oldest brother. Back when I was a freshman, he encouraged me to get involved and I decided to go for it and join the community engagement impact team. The next year, I decided to give more of my time to Knight-Thon and apply for the executive board where I was then our marathon relations captain. Then my junior year, I had the amazing opportunity to serve as the family and hospital relations director. All these roles have taught me so much and brought me to where I am today as community engagement manager!
Henry Bright
Event Manager
Year: Senior
Major/Minor: Aerospace Engineering with minor in Business Administration
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part of Dance Marathon is witnessing the impact of the funds we raise first hand by forming lasting relationships with the families served by the hospital and hearing their stories as to how much they have benefited from the care the hospital gave.
What are you most excited about this year?
As event manager this upcoming year, I look forward not only to our main event, but also all our smaller events to come this year. I look forward to seeing everything, including especially fundraising, get better and better as everyone learns and grows within their positions, and creates meaningful bonds with each other and the families we serve! And hence, we will make main event the best that it can be!
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
I started with dance marathon in 7th grade, helping organize and emcee our middle/high school’s 6 hour dance marathon. I stayed involved with that program my entire time in school until graduating, serving as the lead student organizer my senior year. When I got to UCF, I served as a Knight-Thon team captain for a student organization, Honors Congress, starting my freshman year. Then, I served as RSO engagement captain in 2021-2022.
Kaitlyn Bateh
Dancer Relations Manager
Year: Junior
Major: Accounting
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
My favorite part about being involved with Dance Marathon would have to be the memories and bonds made with our miracle families, internal leadership, external leadership, and participants. This organization and cause are so unique, and Knight-Thon has given me a home away from home.
What are you most excited about this year?
I am most excited to enter a new year in making miracles and friends within this organization. I cannot wait to see what the future holds in collaboration with our organizations on campus in making the biggest impact on our hospital as possible!
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
Shoutout to my older sister Emily for introducing me to the Dance Marathon movement. She was involved with the program during her time in college, and I was able to start a Dance Marathon program at my high school in Jacksonville, Florida. In my senior year of high school, I was recruitment chair and on the Dance Marathon board through our interact club, and I knew I wanted to continue my Dance Marathon journey as a new Knight at the University of Central Florida.
Though the pandemic brought unexpected changes, I entered college in the year 2020 with excitement to join Knight-Thon. My first year at UCF was spent on Morale’s impact team, and I had such an amazing experience. With passion and encouragement, I continued my journey on the Executive Board as Recruitment Director on the Dancer Relations team. Last year I truly found a passion for creating connections with our organizations on campus and getting them excited about our mission. I am honored to continue my journey as Dancer Relations manager and lead our participants in making miracles!
Madison Broderick
Finance Manager
Year: Junior
Major: Nonprofit Management
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
I personally love to watch people grow their passion for this cause. I love to share my love and motivation and use that passion to help others expand their why and involvement in CMN. It is so beyond amazing to see how college students can be so devoted to a cause and seeing the impact we can make at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is so incredible.
What are you most excited about this year?
I am most excited about to see all of our returning dancers. It was so amazing to see new dancers and participants last year grow their passion for this cause.
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
My first year involved in Knight-Thon, I was on the Marathon Relations Impact Team where I worked with Melbourne Central Catholic and Timber Creek High School develop their Dance Marathon programs. Last year, I had the honor and privilege to work with all 10 of our K-12 Programs as Marathon Relations Director and lead an incredible impact team. I am looking forward to joining a new branch of Knight-Thon as Finance Manager!
Sophia Ciccarello
Communications Manager
Year: Junior
Major: Health Sciences
What is your favorite part about being involved in Dance Marathon?
I love being able to make a direct impact in my community. It is so incredible to work with and make friends with others who care so deeply for the same cause. This is my way to give back to my future profession.
What are you most excited about this year?
I am most excited for another in person main event. It was incredible to hear all of the miracle stories live and in person. We have the most wonderful team and I can’t wait to do this year with each and every one of them.
What has your involvement looked like in Dance Marathon prior to taking on this new role on the management team?
My freshman year (2021) was my first dance marathon, I participated on my sorority Pi Beta Phi’s team. Although it didn’t look like our normal main event, I had so much fun and knew I needed to get more involved. The following year I had the honor of being the Production Director. I loved it so much I decided to keep the trend and apply to be the Communications Manager.
About Knight-Thon at UCF
Knight-Thon at UCF is a Miracle Network Dance Marathon program supporting Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Students involved in Knight-Thon work to raise funds and awareness for Orlando Health Arnold Palmer while gaining leadership, teamwork and nonprofit business experience. Their efforts culminate annually in a 20-hour Dance Marathon event, uniting 1500+ students and community members around a common cause as they celebrate their year-long fundraising total. Since 1997, Knight-Thon has raised more than $9 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, helping provide life-changing care for pediatric patients and their families. To stay updated on the latest news from Knight-Thon, check out their social media accounts @KnightThonUCF.