40 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
“ Your dedication has made Year 31 possible,” a tearful Executive Director Grace Massari told the crowd.“ I hope you understand the impact you’ ve had not only on me, but on every life we touch.
“ You made this experience not only a success, but a memory I will carry with me forever.”
Locally known as DM @ FSU, the yearlong effort is the largest student-run philanthropy on campus and one of the top five Children’ s Miracle Network marathons in the country. It includes a number of smaller campaigns throughout the year and culminates in the 30-hour dance fest.
It’ s a passion project for participants, both FSU students and students at middle and high schools in Leon and Wakulla counties.
Of the $ 1.5 million-plus raised this year, $ 316,990 came through school-based campaigns called Community Marathons. They, too, continue to grow, surpassing their 2025 tally by more than $ 50,000.
Neither Travis Ferguson nor Bryan Seaquist could have imagined how Dance Marathon would grow and what it would become when they proposed the concept back in 1995. They just wanted to give the Tallahassee community and FSU students a chance to do something together for a good cause. They raised $ 25,521 that year, had a great time and created a legacy, which led to their induction this year into the Dance Marathon Hall of Fame.
Ferguson, of Tampa, and Seaquist, of Tallahassee, attend closing ceremonies every year. While last year’ s 30th anniversary celebration was special, this year’ s meant even more to Ferguson. He shared that the young woman on stage with him and Seaquist was his daughter Danica, a sophomore studying nursing at FSU and one of this year’ s dancers.
“ It was a real‘ proud dad’ moment,” he said afterward.
For her part, Danica described participating in FSU’ s massive philanthropy that her father helped establish as“ surreal. It feels like a full-circle moment.”
“ Two guys had an idea and they went for it, and that idea has grown into this,” she said.“ It shows that you really can make a huge difference, starting with a small step.”
Nicole Lang( left), DM’ s 2026 Legacy leader, poses for a photo with co-founders Bryan Seaquist, middle, and Travis Ferguson, right, after presenting them plaques naming them to the Dance Marathon @ FSU Hall of Fame. Right photo: Alma B. Littles, M. D., dean of the FSU College of Medicine, speaks during closing ceremonies, thanking everyone involved in Dance Marathon at FSU for their yearlong efforts to raise money for pediatric healthcare outreach in the Tallahassee region.