FSU’s Dance Marathon raises over $2 Million for Children’s Miracle Network

By Vivian El-Salawy on March 6, 2018

Dance Marathon at Florida State University raised $2,152,382 for the Children’s Miracle Network, surpassing the initial goal of $2 million over a year of fundraising and a 40-hour marathon.

Dance Marathon is a movement benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness for more than 170 pediatric hospitals across North America. Dance Marathon began in 1991, when students at Indiana University founded it in the memory of Ryan White – a fellow student who passed away from HIV/AIDS. Since its inception, Florida State has raised nearly $10 million for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Dance Marathon at Florida State
Image via Andrew Salinero

The Children’s Miracle Network reports that in 2016, $32,434,341 was raised for the kids, with 300 dance marathon programs, 250,000 student participants, and individual campuses raising over $1 million. What’s even more impressive is the fact that all of these events are student-run, regardless of the campus they take place at.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, 50 percent of the funds raised by the event at Florida State are donated to the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, and the rest is donated to Florida State’s College of Medicine’s Pediatric Outreach Programs and the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

Dance Marathon at Florida State
Image via Andrew Salinero

Dance Marathon at Florida State University holds its 40-hour event with over 1,800 students participating (yes, awake and on their feet). Dance Marathon at FSU is actually the largest student-run philanthropy in the southeastern region of the United States and one of the five founding Miracle Network Dance Marathons in the country!

Dance Marathon at Florida State
Image via Andrew Salinero

“Even in the face of adversity, Dance Marathon at FSU was able to go above and beyond our goal of 2 million and raise $2,152,382.19 for kids and families in need,” said Alexandria Isais, who earned the title of Ms. DM (alongside Mr. DM Matt Page). Mr. and Ms. DM embody exactly what it means to be “For The Kids”.

“Every CORE member became a member of Comma Club, meaning we all raised $1,000. Every member of my Marathon Events team made Comma Club, and I personally exceeded my goal of $2,300: a goal I thought was some pipe dream at the start of it all. When all of these milestones were hit throughout the course of the Marathon, I was moved to tears. We are fighting for a cure for these kids, and we are doing everything we can to show them that we support them and that they are not alone. That number of $2,152,382.19 means more treatments, birthdays, heartbeats and miracles for children and families.” – Alexandria Isais

While the students at Florida State are ecstatic over having reached their goal for the 2017-2018 year, many are looking ahead with hopes of raising the bar even higher for the following year. For more information on how you can participate with Dance Marathon or fundraise for the Children’s Miracle Network, you can visit the link below: https://dancemarathon.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org

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