2025 UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital Retreat

Carly Heilig
Oct 4
2 min read

Updated: Oct 13

This past weekend, our executive board at FSU, along with boards from our high school community marathons, attended a retreat at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.

We began the day in Gainesville with a hospital tour, which included a visit to the newly renovated Unit 44. Re-opened this past summer, Unit 44 features individual patient rooms, new children’s and teen playrooms, and updated in-room equipment designed to make care more comfortable for patients and those treating them. These incredible renovations were made possible through funds raised by our organization and other local Children’s Miracle Network programs that support Shands.

During the tour, we also visited the Pediatric Infusion Center and the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Our guides shared how funds raised have directly supported these areas and improved the care patients receive.

Following the tour, we spent the day engaging with guest speakers from the hospital and the UF Dance Marathon overall team. Presenters included Child Life Specialists, the Arts in Medicine program, UF Health Advancement, and one of Shands’ ambassadors, Ella Grace. Many sessions were interactive, allowing us to ask questions and dive deeper into the impact of our fundraising. Workshops also gave us the chance to strengthen our leadership skills and explore ways to better serve our programs.

A special highlight of the retreat was the awards presentation. Some of the standout recognitions included:

The Impact Level reflects funds raised during the 2024-2025 year.
The Miracle Millionaire Club honors lifetime fundraising achievements.
- Leon High School: Impact Level $100,000+ & Miracle Millionaire Club
- Chiles High School: Impact Level $75,000+
- Florida State University High School: Impact Level $25,000+
- Rickards High School: Impact Level $10,000+
- Lincoln High School: Impact Level $10,000+
- Tallahassee State College: Impact Award
- Wakulla High School: Impact Award

Throughout the weekend, collegiate organizations joined in discussions on fundraising, engagement, and collaboration. It was a valuable opportunity to connect with another program, share ideas, and learn together.

We closed the retreat the following morning with additional sessions alongside our UF executive board counterparts, where we continued meaningful discussions and heard from more speakers.

Overall, this retreat was an inspiring opportunity for our executive boards to see the tangible impact of our efforts and truly understand the difference we’re making. While we hope all of our participants have the chance to experience Shands firsthand one day, we’re excited to continue sharing these stories so everyone can see the power of their impact.