RebelTHON raises record $305,211.38 for Children’s of Mississippi, funding 12 infusion bays

More than 1,300 students packed the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union ballroom and cheered when RebelTHON announced a record $305,211.38 raised for Children’s of Mississippi after a 12-hour, student-run dance marathon Saturday, Feb. 21.

The total marked the first time RebelTHON topped $300,000 in its 14th edition and pushed the program’s lifetime fundraising past $2 million since it began in 2013. Organizers said the donations will fully fund 12 infusion bays within the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Mississippi.

Those 12 infusion bays are poised to expand pediatric infusion capacity at the state’s only children’s hospital, increasing space for chemotherapy, transfusions and other outpatient treatments that centralize care for children across Mississippi. RebelTHON’s commitment targets a clinical bottleneck in pediatric oncology and hematology care by adding dedicated treatment bays inside the hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

The marathon ran from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and students spent the day in themed hours, games and dancing, donning costumes and holding up numbered cards that, when combined, spelled out the final total of $305,211.38. Photographs from the event showed participants hoisting a teammate wearing a spiky wig and sunglasses while a crowd on the ballroom floor celebrated the announcement. NSSLHA joined campus groups on the floor to mark the milestone.

Maddie Grace Lightsey, RebelTHON president and a senior, said 1,312 registered participants joined the dance marathon. Lightsey, who has a personal connection to the hospital, said, “Being part of RebelTHON has been my way of giving back to the place that gave so much to (my family). For the past four years, RebelTHON has been a cornerstone of my college experience. To close out my time as president with a record-breaking year felt incredibly full circle. This organization means more to me than words can express.” She also said, “We centered everything around the incredible children and families who have been treated at Children’s of Mississippi. Hearing their stories and seeing our campus rally around them made this year especially powerful.”

RebelTHON’s fundraising model ties into the nationwide Dance Marathon movement, and Saturday’s result surpassed the organizers’ goal of $300,000 for the event. Students and campus organizations coordinated outreach and registration throughout the semester to reach the final figure of $305,211.38.

As a student-led effort in Lafayette County, RebelTHON’s 14th edition highlights sustained campus investment in pediatric health over more than a decade. The infusion bays funded by this year’s donation will be housed in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Mississippi and are expected to increase the hospital’s capacity to treat children with cancer and blood disorders across the state.