DM at FSU
Change Kid's Health.
Dance Marathon is a year-long student-led initiative that aims to raise funds and awareness for children in need of specialized pediatric medical care that is otherwise not available to them locally. Our program has two beneficiaries: Shand's Children's Hospital and the FSU College of Medicine Pediatric Outreach Program. At Florida State University, our movement culminates into a 30-hour event where over 1,800+ students stay awake and on their feet for our miracle children and our beneficiaries! I have been apart of Dance Marathon for 6 years (2 of which were in high school), and I don't plan to stop now.
Meet My Why
Every dancer, fundraiser, and miracle maker has a reason they push through the endless hours and continue to fight for the kids with every breath. Some have general reasons, others have ideas, and some have personal ones. We call this our "Why" and I'd like to share mine with you.
Kylee Faith Jones
Dextrocardia, 3rd-degree Heart Block, Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries, & Cardiomyopathy
Kylee was a sweet little girl who had heart surgery when she was 4 months old at Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital. Growing up with her and seeing her at family gatherings always brought a smile to my face; her energy and sass were truly contagious. This sweet angel passed away when she was 4 years old in May 2015. Kylee was the first heart transplant at Joe DiMaggio's, and the strongest little fighter I ever knew. Kylee Faith Jones is my why and I raise money so children's hospitals have funding for more research, better equipment, and to give relief from the financial burden so pediatric cardiac families can focus on what's important: their child.
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Maddi Eker
Stage 4 Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Maddi and I met during our sophomore year of high school and have been best friends for over 7 years. On January 22, 2021, Maddi was diagnosed with Stage IV Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She was only 19 at the time and had been suffering from symptoms such as night sweats, weight loss, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and excessively enlarged lymph nodes for about 2 years before her diagnosis. She had 12 sessions of A+AVD chemo over the course of a year and has been in remission ever since. Maddi Eker is my why and I raise money so that a child's diagnosis can be caught early and no child suffers through the severity of a stage 4 disease alone.
Positions I Held
2022 - 2023
Morale Captain
• $1,308,578.28 raised
• Served as a direct liaison between Alpha Kappa Psi and the Dancer Relations team to integrate new and returning members into the year-long cause, increasing involvement by 50%.
• Engaged students in 8 on-campus events to drive excitement for our philanthropy, encouraging participation and fundraising efforts by 25%.
• Responsible for keeping 1,000+ dancers engaged and positive during the 30-hour main event.
2021 - 2022
Marketing and Publicity Coordinator
• $1,554,156.14 raised
• Led a team of 10+ marketing and social media captains while creating and overseeing year-long marketing campaigns.
• Drafted then managed all social media content for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok to increase reach.
• Serve as liaison between DM, 200+ members of my sorority, and 150+ members of my business fraternity, increasing fundraising efforts by 60%.
2020 - 2021
Membership Captain
• $1,470,210.69 raised
• Worked with 4 Coordinators and Chair to act as a liaison between the 50+ delegates of organizations and the internal team.
• Implemented segmented communication by dividing 10 organizations per Coordinator to increase fundraising in assigned organizations by 50%.
• Developed new and innovative ways to inspire involvement in members such as virtual raffles or interactive social content while adhering to CDC guidelines.
2019 - 2020
Recruitment Captain
• $1,941,368.54 raised
• Responsible for recruiting new members and facilitating registration, increasing involvement by 25%.
• Responsible for registering 2,000+ members, assigning them to their designated teams, and creating their fundraising pages.
• Tabled events around campus and encouraged excitement amongst the student body 2+ times a month.
