Hundreds of student volunteers are headed out near and far this weekend for the first canning weekend of the THON 2011 season.

Cans and signs are provided by the Rules and Regulations Committee for canners to hold while standing at intersections and in front of stores. Most canning trips stay within Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, but some stretch even farther to Ohio, Virginia and Connecticut.

There are four canning weekends total, the rest of which are as follows:

• Dec. 3-5
• Jan. 21-23
• Feb. 11-13

Canning weekends are huge fundraisers for THON, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars in change and dollar bills. Speaking from experience, it’s always a thrill when someone reaches through their window to hand you a five or 10 dollar bill. It’s even better when parents let their kids toss the money in your can.

My favorite part of canning weekends is the opportunity to bond with the fellow canners on your trip. Penn State parents across the region are kind enough to open their homes to groups of 5-10 students and give them places to sleep and warm, home-cooked meals at the end of the day.

Approximately 269 student organizations go canning each of these weekends. Let’s wish them all luck.