Dance Big Red is an annual fundraising event for Norton Children's Hospital put on by students at WKU. This year, the event was held on Friday, March 6, at the Preston Center. (Photo by Megan Geisler)
Gallery: Hilltoppers show out for Dance Big Red 2026
The 12th annual Dance Big Red fundraiser took place on Friday, March 6, at the Preston Center. According to their Instagram, the student-led benefit raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network, specifically Norton Children’s Hospital.
Dance Big Red 2026 raised $141,555.32 for Norton Children’s Hospital’s child cardiology and adolescent care units. According to their Instagram, the event spans six hours and consists of dancing, celebrating and honoring the children and families that are a part of Norton Children’s Hospital. Talisman photographers Megan Geisler and Brennan Campbell attended the event to photograph the community in action.
Each of the four student-led, color-coded groups at Dance Big Red 2026 paraded from Downing Student Union to the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brennan Campbell)
Children and families from Norton Children’s Hospital wait for their turns to walk down the red carpet at the Preston Center during Dance Big Red 2026 on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brennan Campbell)5-year-old Dayday Matherly (middle) was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome when she was one year old, which presents itself as a neuro-genetic disorder. She walked the red carpet with her family at Dance Big Red 2026 at the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brennan Campbell)
Lainey Brennan, a one-and-a-half-year-old with Trisomy 21 and a heart defect, rides on her father’s shoulders as the child sponsor for the green group at Dance Big Red 2026, the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brennan Campbell)
Dance Big Red 2026 was composed of four student-led, color-coded groups. Children and families from Norton Children’s Hospital walked the red carpet at the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brennan Campbell)
Chloe Howard, a member of the Dance Big Red committee, helps teach participants the big dance number at Dance Big Red 2026 on Friday, March 6, at the Preston Center (Photo by Megan Geisler)
Emma Huskey, a member of Kappa Delta, participates in Heads or Tails, a game involving guessing if a coin would land on heads or tails, at Dance Big Red 2026 at the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Megan Geisler)
7 Brew workers fulfill orders for free drinks at Dance Big Red 2026 on Friday, March 6, at the Preston Center. (Photo by Megan Geisler)From left, Hailey Hubbs, Demani Bell, Mazi Hull and Karlee Powell dance and sing at Dance Big Red 2026 on Friday, March 6, at the Preston Center. (Photo by Megan Geisler)Gracyn Poland, 11, was born three months premature and has endured cerebral palsy stemming from a brain injury. She participated in Dance Big Red 2026 at the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brennan Campbell)WKU President Timothy Caboni speaks about the impact WKU has had on Norton Children’s Hospital and fundraising at Dance Big Red 2026 at the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brennan Campbell)
Miles Harvey (right) lets people shave his head if they donate five dollars to Norton Children’s Hospital at Dance Big Red 2026 on Friday, March 6, at the Preston Center. (Photo by Megan Geisler)
Shelby Brown plays in the bouncy castle with other children who were patients at Norton’s Children’s Hospital, along with the Dance Big Red 2026 staff at the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brennan Campbell)
Colby Alexander, a recent WKU alumnus, came back to DJ at Dance Big Red 2026 at the Preston Center on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Megan Geisler)
The Morale Committee for Dance Big Red 2026 teaches the group dance to participants at the fundraising event on Friday, March 6, at the Preston Center. (Photo by Megan Geisler)
Warren County Public School’s Dance Little Red is the high school counterpart of Dance Big Red. Dance Little Red works with Warren County Public Schools to host a three hour dance marathon on Friday, Feb. 27 at South Warren High School. Students, faculty and staff from all Warren County Public Schools high schools were able to participate. This event raises money for the local Children’s Miracle Network, Norton Children’s Hospital. Dance Little Red raised $12,161.39, and the theme of the event this year was “fund-racing.” (Photo by Brennan Campbell)Topping last year’s amount of $105,571.80, Dance Big Red 2026 earned $141,555.32 on Friday, March 6, at the Preston Center. (Photo by Megan Geisler)
