Aidan Sheedy

The buzzer sounds as the 2023 NCAA men’s hockey championship heads to overtime tied at 2-2. A shaking 19-year-old sits in silence on the concourse of a sold-out Amalie Arena, a camera in each hand, mesmerized at the photos he just captured. Suddenly, the buzzer marks the end of intermission. He gets up and sprints through the fans, tears running down his face, his media pass swaying side-to-side with his cameras heavy against his chest. There’s just one thing — those aren’t his cameras.

Quinnipiac University held its annual QTHON dance marathon on March 23. The event accumulated $140,997.49 over the past year — nearly $40,000 more than QTHON 2023. The student-run philanthropy program raises funds and awareness for the patients at Connecticut Children’s Hospital. The event lasted six hours and included a variety of speakers who shared why they dance. This year, 1,250 students got involved.