Leon High School Dance Marathon Receives 2020 Best High School Dance Marathon Award
Leon High School Dance Marathon, in partnership with Dance Marathon at Florida State University, was awarded the Best High School Dance Marathon award at Dance Marathon Leadership Conference 2020. The Best High School Dance Marathon award recognizes a High School Miracle Network Dance Marathon program that hosted a Dance Marathon event in the 2019-2020 academic year and is chosen based on a combination of fundraising success, year-round programming, and Dance Marathon event execution.
This year, Leon raised $130,156.88 for UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, which is a 32% increase over their 2019 year. This incredible financial growth was in great part due to the creative ways the students used their online platforms to engage more members of their school and local community.
In her application, DM at FSU Executive Director, Madison Faller, wrote about four areas that Leon showed growth: fundraising, their marketing and brand, participant recruitment, and event execution.
Fundraising
- One of the highest fundraising high school marathons in Florida and nationally.
- Continual participation in all of DM at FSU’s fundraising pushes:
- Raising $11,362 for Florida Statement
- Raising $7,481 for Leave Your Legacy
- Hosting a “Minute for Marshal” fundraiser to pay tribute to Leon High School student and miracle child, Marshal Fisher.
- Encouraging active Peer to Peer fundraising through social media giveaways, shout-outs and year-round segmented communication.
Marketing and Brand
- Building an informative and visually pleasing Instagram
- Creating and sharing videos from miracle kids who attend Leon.
- Creating an official Leon Dance Marathon website
Participant Recruitment and Engagement
Recruitment
- Monthly lunchtime registration rallies with music, food, and merchandise sales.
- Creating a QR Code for easy access to registration
- Attending other clubs’ meetings to share about Dance Marathon
Engagement Events
- The annual “Mr. Miracle Pageant” where students compete in a mock pageant competition to raise money and awareness.
- Hosting “Battle of the Classes” competitions throughout the year to encourage a friendly rivalry between grades in both fundraising and registrations.
- The first annual “For The Kids Kickball Tournament” to engage internal and external members.
Event Execution
- Welcomed more than 300 registered participants!
- Involved external club participation by inviting them to perform (Drama, Troupe, Dance)
In-Event Fundraising
- Power Hour: A goal was announced for the hour and as participants fundraised, the screen behind the stage revealed a live fundraising total.
- Raised $3,688 with a goal of $2,000
- Miracle Minutes: Miracle Kids collected cash donations from participants with a mini-reveal at the end
- Raised over $1,000 in 15 minutes
Congratulations to the students at Leon High School and Florida State University!
Miracle Network Dance Marathon is an international movement, involving over 400 colleges, universities and K-12 schools across North America that fundraise for their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Since its inception in 1991, Miracle Network Dance Marathon has raised more than $300 million–ensuring that no child or family fights pediatric illness or injury alone.
Learn more about Miracle Network Dance Marathon: