Annual University of Mississippi marathon continues mission to make a lasting impact on state’s children
For Maddie Grace Lightsey, RebelTHON is more than just a good time. For her, it is personal.
The University of Mississippi junior from Hattiesburg has participated in the annual dance marathon fundraiser for the last three years. Since its founding 14 years ago, RebelTHON has raised more than $2 million for Children’s of Mississippi. Last year’s event raised a record $272,616.
Lightsey’s younger brother has cerebral palsy and receives care from Children’s of Mississippi.
“My little brother, Mason, has cerebral palsy, so he is in a wheelchair, and he’s attended Children’s since he was an infant,” said Lightsey, who is serving as the event’s vice president of internal operations. “He’s the light of my life. I like to say he can make anyone laugh without talking, which is a talent.
“His circumstances have been super inspiring for me through everything, and everything that I do ties back to him.”
This year’s RebelTHON is set for Saturday, February 15, 2025, in the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union. Nearly 1,200 Ole Miss students have registered to participate in the event.
Event organizers have set a goal of raising $300,000 to fund a cardiac nursing station at the hospital. They also created the #HeartToHeart initiative to raise awareness of the effort.
“When we think ‘heart to heart,’ it’s like we’re putting our hearts together, and we’ve been able to fight together,” Lightsey said. “When we saw the cardiac nurse’s station as an option, I think it was very clear to all of us that that was what we were going to do for the year. The nurses are the heartbeat of the hospital.”
Lightsey’s brother has undergone several surgeries at Children’s, and the family is grateful for the comfortable couches, chairs and beds that organizations such as RebelTHON have provided, she said.
“The fact that my mom got to sleep a little bit more comfortably after he had his hip surgery and his spine surgeries was awesome, because without RebelTHON, some of those things wouldn’t have been a possibility,” Lightsey said.
As is tradition, this year’s event will feature appearances by several Children’s of Mississippi patients and their families. In previous years, families have shares stories of being transferred to different hospitals in the past because Children’s didn’t have the necessary equipment for them.
“We’re an hour and a half from Jackson, but we’re going to be five hours from Memphis,” Lightsey said. “We can’t do that in a day with my brother.
“By fundraising, we’ve been able to bring so much equipment to Children’s that’s prevented so many people from having to travel out of state or just additional time to get to a hospital to get what they need.”
To register as a participant and begin fundraising, click here.
By Jordan Karnbach
