Knight-Thon, the UCF student-run dance marathon and fundraiser, raised $688,049 last weekend for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The event began Saturday at 11 a.m. and lasted 20 hours, ending 8 a.m. Sunday. More than 1,100 students attended and helped UCF go from the 12th largest Miracle Network dance marathon in the nation to the 7th largest. Knight-thon exceeded its goal of $500,000 and became the sixth largest amount raised this year across all children’s Miracle Network dance marathons.

“I am absolutely speechless,” said Drew Strochak, Knight-Thon director. “Over 1,000 students came together for one cause, and truly created a legacy for Knight-thon. Every penny of what we raised goes to the hospitals, and I am so proud to be a part of that.”

Knight-Thon increased its annual donation by 57 percent from last year’s $392,831, and has now raised more than $1.8 million for UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Neonatal Care Unit of Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies.

For information on how to get involved with Knight-Thon, visit http://osi.ucf.edu/knight-thon/.