Dance Marathon at Florida State University has surpassed $10 million in total funding to the FSU College of Medicine since 2003. The annual event, organized by students, raises money for pediatric health care programs in Florida, including UF Health’s Shands Children’s Hospital and local initiatives in Leon County.
At this year’s check presentation, Alma B. Littles, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine, highlighted the program’s longstanding impact. “Here are a couple of things you may not know,” Littles said. “Dance Marathon at FSU proudly stands as one of the five founding Miracle Network Dance Marathons in the country and consistently ranks among the top five Miracle Network Marathon programs nationwide. This is impressive!”
Dance Marathon at FSU began in 1996 under the Children’s Miracle Network. Since 2003, half of all funds raised after expenses have supported pediatric health care through the College of Medicine. In 2025, students raised $1.3 million; $617,177.06 was directed to the college, bringing its cumulative support to over $10.3 million.
Student volunteers spend a year fundraising and planning for the event, which features a weekend marathon where thousands dance in shifts lasting up to 20 hours. Many participants take on increasing leadership roles throughout their college years.
“DM at FSU is where new leaders discover their passion, first found where our future is built, and where many of us, myself included, first found our place in this movement,” said Grace Massari, executive director of the 2026 Dance Marathon.
Funds from Dance Marathon support several community partnerships focused on pediatric health care. These include FSU Primary Health clinic in southwest Tallahassee; Big Bend Hospice’s grief counseling for children; medical music therapy at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare; Early Head Start; and rural health clinics operated with Gadsden County agencies.
Juliana Olodude from Bond Community Health Center described how Dance Marathon contributions expanded mobile health services and dental outreach: “When you meet people where they are, you often have to show them that the care is real and accessible,” she said. “Having a mobile unit that is equipped like a doctor’s or dentist’s office reinforces that this is serious, quality care. It helps people feel worthy of receiving the health care they may not have had access to before.”
This year also marked a return for an official College of Medicine dance team after more than ten years’ absence. Six second-year medical students—Kaitlyn Barnes, Alexandra Bush, David Hartsfield, Canna Liu, Kieu Tran and Victoria Vida—were recognized for their participation last March and will now advise incoming first-year dancers.
Rashim Savani, M.D., chair of pediatrics at University of Florida College of Medicine and physician-in-chief at Shands Children’s Hospital, explained how research funded by Dance Marathon has contributed to advances such as an antibody treatment for Type 1 diabetes: “If you don’t know what Type 1 diabetes is… You give one shot of this antibody, and you can either delay the onset of Type 1 diabetes or in some cases… prevent it completely. You give that.”
Savani also noted progress against childhood brain tumors using immunotherapy developed with support from these funds: “Solid brain tumors in children is a devastating disorder… But a team has developed an immunotherapy that dissolved the tumors in animal testing.” He added: “I’m pleased to report that we’ve now treated our first four patients with this technology… You made that happen. You did that.”
