Hydrated

Tonight was easily one of the best nights of my life.

That's why I can't sleep. My body is exhausted (I think), but the endorphins level I'm working with right now is keeping me up and happy!

Why was tonight so great you ask? First off, if you're asking that, it means you weren't at the first annual Hydrating Humanitate, and let me tell you- you missed out...big time. There were a cappella groups, student bands, raffle prizes, a dance-off, and pizzas on pizzas on pizzas!

Secondly, this is why: tonight Wake Forest students raised $4,212 to support the efforts of Hydrating Humanity. The goal was $3,500- enough to build a well in an Eastern Sub-Saharan African village- but THE GOAL WAS SURPASSED! Though that may not seem like a grand sum of money, the funds raised tonight will save lives. It's hard for us with access to clean water to imagine the impact this new well can and will have on the village it's constructed within.

And that leads me to my first thank you of the post...you know what, let's be real, I'm just going to start thanking people now.

THANK YOU WAKE STUDENTS! Every single one of you that brought a ticket is responsible for making the dream of this well a reality. And not just your ticket purchases- we also appreciate those of you who bought t-shirts, raffle prizes, and some who just gave flat out donations. We loved getting to see you all out and having fun tonight!

THANK YOU WAKE FOREST ADMINISTRATORS! As this was Hydrating Humanitate's first year, the committee and I had a few missteps, missed guidelines, and plain misunderstandings of the expectations for an event such as ours. That being said, Wake Forest administrators were incredibly forgiving, helpful, and enthusiastic about our cause. I know for a fact that tonight could not have happened without them and I am truly grateful. Specifically, I want to thank Mike Ford, Mary Gerardy, Ken Zick, Kathy Arnett, Jessica Wallace and (of course) our wonderful advisor, Billy Hamilton.

THANK YOU DANCERS! Guys, I know that for some of you, this event marked your first time participating in a choreographed dance...ever, BUT you all made the night. For those of you that missed it, we had 7 all male groups put on quite the show. They shook, spun, and swiveled for the hundreds of Wake students in the crowd! Our celebrity judges (Dr. Billy Hamilton, Quarterback Tanner Price, and Homecoming King and Queen, Storm Saponaro and Mo Earley) did a fabulous job voting and commenting on each dance. A special shout out to the men of SAE for being the first ever victors of the Hydrating Humanitate all male dance-off!

THANK YOU FACILITIES AND ED POINDEXTER! The lights, the sound, the water, the hot chocolate, and, yes, even the beer- this is all due to the wonderful help and expertise of WFU facilities and Ed Poindexter. I don't know a thing about any of these areas, so to say I'm grateful really doesn't cover it.

THANK YOU MOM AND DAD! They did, in fact, donate a keg to this event. I'm not sure how thrilled they'll be with me sharing this information...oops...

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! We had around 35 amazing, incredible, proactive volunteers sign up to help with the actual night of Hydrating Humanitate. I wish I could hug each of you right now because without your help, tonight could not have gone half as well....nay, a third as well. These students sacrificed their night to support our cause and I remain impressed with how skillfully they completed all of their tasks.


THANK YOU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS! Wow, where do I even begin? Just to set the stage for you all, John Lineberger (my fellow co-chair) and I came to these 10 other sophomores in September. We told them we wanted to raise money in the spring for a non-profit called Hydrating Humanity, and we would like them to be a part of it....that's all we had. These people did not hesitate to say yes.  I knew John and I were recruiting some talented students, but I had no idea just how perfect each of them would be for their job. They went above and beyond our expectations. They dealt with constant curve balls from me and John, but took all of it with a smile. I love them all as friends, but also respect them as co-workers. I know they probably got annoyed with constant emails, text messages, and phone calls always asking them to do yet another task, but they rose to the occasion perfectly. Each person had multiple jobs, but they made it look easy. The executive committee was the heart of the planning for tonight and I'm still trying to figure out how to show them my appreciation.

and, naturally THANK YOU JOHN! I could not have asked for a better co-chair to work with. For those of you that know me, I can get a little carried away with stress at times, and no one deals with stress better than John. He calmed me down, and was able to remind me that everything was going to come together (spoiler: it did!!). His leadership was key to the success of tonight, and if you see him please Congratulate him on a job well done.


All I have to say now is...I can't wait until next year!