Dance Marathon at Florida State University, one of the nation’s top Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon programs, was recognized with the Excellence in Donor Engagement Award for its outstanding fundraising and awareness efforts that support UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital at the 2026 Ignite Peer-to-Peer Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Each year, student leaders from Dance Marathon programs nationwide gather at CMN’s national leadership conference, Ignite, to celebrate achievements, exchange ideas and recognize outstanding individuals and programs. The Excellence in Donor Engagement Award honors programs that excel at building meaningful relationships with donors and participants through intentional stewardship, personalized communication and innovative engagement.
For Dance Marathon at FSU, this award reflects a year-long commitment to ensuring donors and participants feel connected to the mission and understand the impact of their support.
“Receiving the Excellence in Donor Engagement Award at Ignite is a true honor. It reflects the passion and commitment our entire team brings to building meaningful donor relationships every day,” said Emmanuella Essien, executive director of Dance Marathon at FSU. “It’s a testament to the culture our program has cultivated, where every donor feels seen, appreciated and part of something bigger than themselves.”
Throughout the year, Dance Marathon at FSU fosters meaningful relationships with its supporters through intentional donor stewardship. Handwritten thank-you notes, personalized communications, hospital updates and student-led outreach help connect donors to the mission and the local impact of their support.
For more than 30 years, Dance Marathon at FSU has supported UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital and the FSU College of Medicine Pediatric Outreach Program, funding critical medical care, equipment, patient support programs and groundbreaking research through the generosity of the community.
This national recognition highlights the program’s commitment to building lasting relationships with the donors and participants. As one of the nation’s leading Dance Marathon programs, Dance Marathon at Florida State University continues to set the standard for student-led philanthropy in support of children’s health.