13WHAM Sports Reporter Jenna Cottrell to Serve as the Teddi Dance for Love Honorary Chair

January 14, 2019

13WHAM sports reporter Jenna Cottrell will serve as the honorary chair of the 37th annual Teddi Dance for Love at St. John Fisher College. The 24-hour dance-a-thon, which has raised close to $1.5 million for Camp Good Days and Special Times, will be held from 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8 through 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9.

Cottrell, who joined the 13WHAM sports team in February 2016, covers everything from the Buffalo Bills to high school athletics. But perhaps her most powerful story of victory is her own: just a year after joining the news team, Cottrell was diagnosed with stage 4 nodular sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma. She sought treatment at the Wilmot Cancer Center, receiving chemotherapy every other week for six months. Now cancer-free for more than a year, Cottrell is joining the Teddi Dance for Love Committee to raise money for a cause close to her heart.

“I wanted to get involved with the Teddi Dance because of all the good it does for our community. Cancer unfortunately is very prevalent in my family—both my brother and I are survivors—so I know the toll it can take on patients and caregivers,” Cottrell said. “I know firsthand what it’s like seeing someone you love go through something so challenging. By supporting children and their families during their time of need, Camp Good Days and Special Times offers exactly that—a break from the constant stress of dealing with a tough diagnosis.”

Cottrell will help the Teddi Committee celebrate the week leading up to the dance, serving as a co-host of the Very Beary Brunch on Friday, Feb. 1, and offering encouragement during the fundraiser. Members of the Teddi Committee, led this year by chairs Allison Smith ’19 and Tyler Adams ’20, are thrilled to have such a strong ambassador cheering on the 400 or more dancers, sparking excitement and energy throughout the night.

“With the dance only a few weeks away, I am so happy to see the support we are getting from Fisher and the Rochester community and I am very excited to work with Jenna to help spread awareness and for her to share her own story,” said Smith.