By Sarah Weiss
What happens when you combine the resources of 15,000 volunteers and 14 committees with 46 hours of non-stop dancing?
You can raise more than $10.5 million for the fight against pediatric cancer. THON, one of Penn State’s biggest events of the year, is what happens when a wacky college party and seriously devoted students come together to positively change the lives of others. It is always FTK, or for the kids, but also is a collective legacy that is shared by Penn students.
This year’s THON, which takes place February 15-17, benefits the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Children’s Hospital. Since 1973, THON has donated money to various charities from the American Heart Association to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Prior to THON weekend, the THON essence lives on in the THON 5K, THON Family Carnival, THON Awareness Week, and others. This year’s THON weekend will be held February 15-17. It’s a free event, and many families that the marathon benefits will be in attendance.
Approximately 700 official THON dancers are chosen from student organizations and bestowed the honor of dancing for 46 hours straight. Not for the faint of soul, the event features dancers that binge on high energy and support from their peers. Every hour a “line dance” is performed that incorporates Penn State and pop culture references. Once the 46th hour strikes, the dancers sit down (well deservedly), and in a climactic moment, the amount of money raised throughout the year is announced.
Jillian Gordon, a student at Penn State, said of her first THON experience, “No one can ever really understand the passion the weekend exudes without experiencing it yourself. I had intended to stay for an hour or so to see what the big deal was and support some friends of mine that were dancing. I didn’t leave until eight hours later.”
Dance along with THON students by joining a live stream here on Saturday, February 16. And to help support THON’s efforts to fight pediatric cancer, click here.