University of Mississippi students donned costumes, shared dance moves and made memories to raise a record $305,211.38 during the 2026 RebelTHON fundraiser.
For the past 14 years, Ole Miss students have gathered in late winter to dance the night away, all for a good cause: Mississippi’s children, specifically, the patients at Children’s of Mississippi hospital. This year’s RebelTHON, part of the nationwide Dance Marathon program, surpassed the organizers’ goal of $300,000.
For many of the more than 1,300 students who participated, the event is more than just a fun way to raise money. Jessica Voge, a junior secondary English education major from Cincinnati, was among them.
“I am a childhood cancer survivor, and it’s very important to me to stay involved in children’s health care philanthropies to give back to a system that saved my life,” Voge said. “What the previous generations had done for me, that’s what I wish to do for the next.”
This year’s dancers made a tangible impact with their fundraising efforts.
“We have fully funded 12 infusion bays within the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Mississippi,” said Maddie Grace Lightsey, a senior nursing student from Hattiesburg and 2025-26 RebelTHON president.
Like Voge, Lightsey’s participation is meaningful. She has participated in the event all four years at Ole Miss.
“My little brother was treated at Children’s of Mississippi and I wanted to give back for all they have done for me and my family,” she said.
“RebelTHON has been a cornerstone of my college experience, and it was an honor to go out with a record-breaking year – raising over $300,000 for the first time in RebelTHON history.”
The yearlong fundraising effort culminates with a 12-hour marathon of dancing, games and costume-themed hours.
“I actually got to crowd surf dressed up as Guy Fieri during the rave theme/dance party hour,” Voge said. “That’s a sentence I’d never thought I’d say, and it’s only at RebelTHON that I would ever be able to do that.”
Voge immediately knew she wanted to join RebelTHon when she learned about it during her freshman orientation, where she also learned about Hotty Toddy.
Describing Hotty Toddy as “hello, goodbye and everything in between,” Voge said that RebelTHON is the epitome of the cheer.
“To me, RebelTHON is that ‘everything in between,'” she said. “I’ve never felt more connected to the university, to the LOU community, to Mississippi in general, than when I am at RebelTHON.”
That connection and community have far-reaching impact, she said.
“As someone who is not from Mississippi, or anywhere near Mississippi, RebelTHON is important, as it helps build on the sense that Oxford is home,” Voge said.
“Knowing that I am serving the community, the generations after me, means more to me than anything else.”
To support the University of Mississippi Medical Center, visit http://www.umc.edu/givenow/ or contact Meredith Aldridge, executive director of development, at 601-815-7469 or mmaldridge@umc.edu.
By Marisa Atkinson/UM MarCom