Teddi Chairs Use Business Skills to Plan 24-Hours of Magic

Tyler Adams joined the Teddi Dance for Love as a first-year student to make friends and become more involved on campus. Four years and many positions later, he now serves as chair of one of the biggest and most revered events on campus: a 24-hour dance marathon to raise funds for Camp Good Days and Special Times.

For the fourth year in a row, Teddi is being chaired by a student in the School of Business. Allison Smith, an accounting major; Emily Jeffries, a marketing major; and Hilary Wilcox, a business management major, have all left their mark on Teddi while serving as chair.

As a business management major, Adams says he runs Teddi like any small business. Using the skills he learned in the classroom, he held interviews to assemble a team of captains to work on the various aspects of Teddi. On top of overseeing the event’s many teams and adopting a new protocol for captains, he also manages the yearly budget.

Although Adams began working with Teddi to make more connections at Fisher, he quickly developed a passion for its mission. He sees giving back through Teddi as a natural progression of a lifetime of participating in community service, and enjoys being a part of honoring the legacy of Elizabeth “Teddi” Mervis.

The Teddi Dance for Love has come a long way in its 38-year history. The first dancers raised $7,500 dollars; this year, Teddi will attempt to raise $105,000 for Camp Good Days. Many more changes, including a new theme, dance hours, grand entrances, logos, and several sustainability efforts are some of the ways Adams will leave his mark on Teddi.