25 Years Dance Marathon

By Rebecca Farina (B.S. ’20) Community Outreach Coordinator for FSU’s 2020 Dance Marathon

Dance Marathon at FSU, an annual 40-hour event where students raise funds for children in need of specialized pediatric and medical care, celebrated its 25th anniversary March 6-8, 2020.

“For the Kids.” A statement that has echoed across Florida State University’s campus every year for 25 years. For one weekend each year, students and alumni join together for Dance Marathon (DM) at FSU, an annual fundraiser that culminates with a 40-hour event where participants stay awake — and on their feet — to raise money and awareness for children fighting with pediatric illness or injury. This year marked a special anniversary for the studentrun philanthropy who hosted its 25th consecutive event.

Twenty-six years ago, students on Florida State’s campus came together to create one of the founding Dance Marathon programs in the nation. Bryan Seaquist (B.S. ’97), a co-founder of DM at FSU, wanted to develop a new activity to bring the campus community together regardless of which organizations students were associated with. At the same time, Seaquist said the Children’s Miracle Network was trying to expand its reach into schools.

In 1996, after a year and a half of planning, DM at FSU held its first event inside Tully Gym. In its first year, DM at FSU raised $19,001.37. Little did the founding leaders know how much of an impact this movement would continue to make on Florida State’s campus for the next 25 years. The main event now takes place in the exhibition hall of the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center and has raised over $14 million for the kids in the community, including $2.2 million in 2019 alone. Proceeds from the marathon and the related fundraisers are split evenly between the FSU College of Medicine Pediatric Outreach Program and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, the regional Children’s Miracle Network hospital for FSU.

The 25th anniversary year officially kicked off in summer 2019 with many renewed traditions and new traditions. “The 25th year is a really important year for an organization,” said FSU student Kayla Gallagher, external events chair for DM 2020. “That is a moment where you’re saying that this organization might last forever.”

The recruitment team poses in front of the 25 years of Dance Marathon at FSU Timeline at DM 2020.

The external events team is responsible for engaging the community in the months leading up to marathon weekend. DM at FSU hosts various events throughout the year including a check presentation at the FSU College of Medicine, a reception hosted by President John Thrasher (B.S. ’65, J.D. ’72) and First Lady Jean Thrasher, fundraising push days, and mini marathons hosted by local middle and high schools.

“We can do so much more if we’re working towards fundraising and growing our movement 52 weeks of the year instead of just one and I think it’s super important to keep our organization right in front of them to emphasize the yearlong movement aspect of our organization,” said FSU student Jamison Lake, a community outreach coordinator for DM at FSU.

A new initiative created by the executive board for the 25th year was the implementation of the spring engagement campaign, Leave Your Legacy. Student leaders were inspired by the passion that came from Florida Statement, DM at FSU’s official fall fundraising push where students across campus came together to raise $414,594.36 in honor of funding one year for the child life programs at Shands.

Dancers “take a knee” to show honor and support while a Miracle Family speaks.

“Year 25 offered the unique opportunity to look back at history, which we did for the majority of the year,” said Taylor Williams (B.A. ’20), the executive director of Dance Marathon at FSU 2020. “But towards the end of the year we took a step forward and said, ‘what’s going to be our lasting impact,’ and I think that’s where Leave Your Legacy stemmed from.”

Leave Your Legacy had no monetary goal. The purpose of the day was to commemorate all the organization accomplished in the prior 24 years and help pave the way for new traditions in years to come. It was an opportunity for students to leave their mark both on campus and within the organization.

The milestone year concluded with the 25th Annual Dance Marathon at Florida State, which took place March 6-8, 2020. If you walked into the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center that weekend, you might have been going to support the men’s basketball team as they celebrated a victory over Boston College to clinch the ACC Regular-Season Championship. However, just steps down the hall, students were dressed in colorful tutus and wigs, wearing themed outfits, standing on their feet and learning new dance moves to fight for the next generation and give the kids of today hope for tomorrow.

Dance Marathon participants pause for a photo in the 2010 Homecoming Parade. Circle of Hope Ceremony Participants form around the Miracle Family at the end of DM 2016.

The 40-hour event is split into two 20- hour shifts, garnet and gold, where dancers commit to being on their feet for 20 hours, standing for those who can’t. Dancers, volunteers, and local community members are entertained by local performing artists and student groups, sponsored theme hour activities, and by meeting local Miracle Families who have been directly affected by the funds raised through events such as DM at FSU.

“My goal for the event was to make everything intentional leading up to the marathon,” said Landon Weeks (B.A. ’20), marathon director of DM 2020, speaking to the organization’s longstanding traditions. “I wanted dancers to be able to see bits and pieces from year 25 and traditions founded in prior years at the event.” Sierra Camuto (B.S. ’20), the marathon experience chair, added, “It was such a cool thing to see how the organization really emphasized this year that it is so incredible that we’ve been able to do this for 25 years; we really wanted to honor that and lay the foundation for the next 25 years.”

During the first shift known as the garnet shift, which began Friday evening, students heard stories from local Miracle Families and learned a line dance that would be performed every hour on the hour. This shift ended Saturday afternoon and the leadership team had just a few hours to get ready to do it all over again. The second shift, or the gold shift, took place Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon.

Club. Dancers “take a knee” to show honor and support while a Miracle Family speaks.

Students who attended the event experienced hypnotists, dance groups and workout classes. Dancers were well fed with pancake breakfasts and meals from local Tallahassee sponsors. At the end of the marathon, the Florida State community had raised $1,941,368.54 in total throughout the year, all “For the Kids.”

Throughout the years, alumni have played a vital role in the organization. Participants recognize that DM at FSU alumni have paved the way for what the organization is today and serve as a support system to encourage current members to keep fighting. As graduates, alumni can still be involved in the organization whether they were involved for all four years of their collegiate experience or never participated.

For DM at FSU, alumni play an integral role in the movement from fundraising to attending future marathon events as part of the DM Alumni Team. While many alumni enjoy returning to DM at FSU to dance, there are many other ways to get involved if they can’t make the trip back to Tallahassee. Niki Little (B.A. ’18), DM at FSU’s first dancer relations director in 2018, had the opportunity to participate as an alumna in 2019. However, after making a job change this year, she knew she had to support in a new way.

“After developing so many skills while working with Shands, I knew I wanted to give back,” Little said. She now supports the cause by sharing dancers’ fundraising pages and donating to participants’ links such as her sister, who just finished her first year with Dance Marathon in the freshmen leadership program that Niki helped develop just two years prior, the InspiratioNOLE Leaders.

Today, alumni have an even stronger connection through the creation of Team Marshal. Marshal was one of DM at FSU’s Miracle Children who unfortunately lost his battle to osteosarcoma in May 2018. FSU alumna Betsy Fisher (B.S. ’83), Marshal’s mom, thinks of the recognition as an incredible honor. “To me, he’s no longer here physically, just like the alumni who have graduated and left. It’s sort of out of sight, but never out of mind.”

Comma Club: Alex Jones (B.S. ’17) poses with the first “Wall of Fame” at DM 2016, an idea that Jones developed to recognize dancers for hitting fundraising milestones known as the Comma

There are also ways to participate through the FSU Alumni Association’s Seminole Clubs® and Chapters. “Partnering with your local Seminole Club® to make dancer care packages is a great way to show your support from afar and let dancers know you’re thinking of them,” said Alex Jones (B.S. ’17), DM at FSU executive director in 2017 and a current board member with the Twin Cities Seminole Club® in Minnesota. “I think it’s important for alumni to continue to look at what our university is doing for the community because it’s something to be really proud of. I think it’s a big deal when students are coming together to raise over $1 million, almost $2 million, For the Kids.”

FSU students are already preparing for DM at FSU’s 26th year despite not being physically on campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am so proud of all the work this team has put in so far this year,” said incoming executive director Madison Faller, an FSU senior in the combined B.S./M.S. Elementary Education program. “I am inspired by their bravery to virtually apply and step into their positions during the times we are living in. No pandemic will stop this team from doing everything we can ‘For the Kids.’”

Learn more about Dance Marathon at FSU, including how to get involved: dmfsu.org

A Message From Madison Faller, DM 26 Director

Dance Marathon at FSU will host its 26th marathon March 5-7, 2021. In the upcoming year, participants can expect to see a change in how marathon weekend looks. “We notice a lot of our potential participants choose not to participate because they can’t commit to a 20-hour shift with reasons varying from class conflicts or work schedule to being a student athlete,” said Faller. “To target new participants while keeping everyone’s health and wellness in mind, DM at FSU will be restructuring marathon shifts.”

DM at FSU will still have two shifts for its marathon. The “Garnet Experience” will be 10 hours and take place on Friday. The second shift, “Gold Tradition,” will be the traditional length of 20 hours and take place from Saturday to Sunday. “Just as our world is constantly evolving, our student-body is evolving alongside it,” said Faller. “Knowing that we’ve had these two 20-hour shifts for 10 years, I think we have to evolve to what our student body wants. This has already been such a year of change and growth not only for Dance Marathon, but also for our world. I’m excited to see the fruition of our efforts in the year to come.”