Florida Statement 2017

One Goal. One Statement. Two weeks ago, Dance Marathon at Florida State University set a goal to raise $262,000 in 26.2 hours during our third annual Florida Statement fundraising campaign. Starting bright and early at 8 a.m. on November 14, members of the internal team canned for the kids at spots all over campus; ranging from Legacy Walk to Doak Campbell Stadium. Additionally, dancers and fundraisers sent mass emails and posted on social media to spread the word about Florida Statement and all that it entails

Meanwhile in the Union ballrooms, students were encouraged to visit the Hype Room. The goal of this new space was to provide students with motivation and inspiration by offering fundraising tips, snacks, a photo booth and so much more. Throughout the day, several of our partners funded matching hours in which a select number of fundraisers had their donations matched up to $50. In addition, students were able to ring the Miracle Gong every time they raised $100. Later on in the day, we were joined by miracle children Fletcher, Powie, Kayla and their families. Each told stories and reflected on how Dance Marathon has personally impacted their lives. We also held a Comma Club Ceremony where students who raised at least $1,000 were recognized for their outstanding fundraising efforts. When the day was done, students headed to the Magnolia Grove Plaza to participate in our share-it night.

The last few hours of Florida Statement were jam-packed with activity and excitement. When the campaign was over, students gathered at Market Wednesday to witness the total reveal on the steps of Moore Auditorium. Members of the Executive Board displayed our grand total one number at a time. Together we raised $302,535.34, shattering our original goal by more than $40,000! “This shows how committed our school is to this cause, and that we can come together for something that we all truly care about,” says Claire Shavarie, dancer for Team Powie.

It was Up To Us to make our Statement and we did! Thank you to all of our students, families and donors for coming together on this day of miracle making. Together, Dance Marathon at FSU, Dance Marathon at UF, and Knight-Thon at UCF were able to raise more than $1,000,000 over the course of two days. Of that total, an upwards of $700,000 will benefit Shands Children’s Hospital which is our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

Keep up with DM at FSU throughout the year as we strive to do more For The Kids by visiting our website, https://www.dmfsu.org and following our social media accounts!