Schuylkill Benefiting THON is one of the many student-led organizations participating in THON 2017. Led by President Justin Stoner, the group made the two-hour journey from Penn State’s Schuylkill campus to the Bryce Jordan Center.

“[THON] supports a great cause,” Stoner said. “At the end of the day all we want to help the kids who suffer from cancer.”

Since its creation in 2007, the Schuylkill Benefiting THON organization has raised more than $150,000 for THON. Approximately $11,000 of it came from canning weekends, but the org is creative, too. It held a 5k on October 15, 2016, and members also raised more than $2,000 in a stationary-bicycle spinning event where several participants donated $25 to use an exercise bike for one hour.

Several different small businesses around the Schuylkill community have worked with the organization to raise money for THON, including The CAGE, a local gym which hosted a weight-lifting competition to raise money for THON and a bingo event December 11. The bingo event raised more than $6,000 #FTK. Schuylkill’s most recent fundraiser took place on January 24, when two local stylists shaved heads for $10 per person. This event was directed to kids impacted by pediatric cancer: Bald is beautiful.

The organization has approximately 40 members who will all ‘dance in the stands’ for the entire 46-hour duration of THON this weekend. Since Stoner and the rest of the organization are based in a branch campus, it was difficult for them to get involved with THON initially, but their organization allowed them to form relationships and help conquer childhood cancer.

“[Joining Schuylkill Benefiting THON] was the only way I could’ve helped out with THON,” Stoner said, “but we have a very nice, small community. Everybody knows each other in our organization.”

This year, Schuylkill Benefiting THON works with two Four Diamonds families — the Tre’ Davis family and the Arielle Rodriguez family.