They say that nice guys finish last, but for Penn State student and Nittany Nation President Steve Huber, the nice guy will be starting last on the morning of November 20th.

Steve created the “Cents of Hope” project to raise money for THON in a unique way when he runs the Philadelphia Half-Marathon on Sunday, November 20. He plans to be the last person to begin the race, and is asking family, friends, and THON supporters to pledge a donation for each runner that he passes during the 13.1 mile race.

Donors can pledge anywhere from a half-cent up to five cents for each runner that Steve passes during the half-marathon, with all the money going towards the Penn State Dance Marathon. Steve credited his father, who had done a similar fundraiser when he ran the New York Marathon, for the unique fundraiser idea.

“Based on my goal, I should be passing about 5,000 runners,” he estimated. “I’m really encouraging a penny donation right now, which would come out to a donation of about $50.” For his friends, Steve said, he is encouraging half-cent donations, which are predicted to result in about a $25 donation.

So how much money does Steve expect to bring in FTK?

“So far it’s been going pretty well,” Steve said of the progress he’s made since he began promoting his fundraiser two weeks ago. “As of this morning, I’m at 30 cents total, which should result in about $1,500 for THON”

“I thought it would be a good way for me to combine my passion for running with my passion for THON,” Steve said when asked why he created Cents of Hope. For that reason, Steve’s fundraiser hit home for me. My dad, a marathon runner and a major supporter of THON with personal ties to the cause, raised over $2,200 for THON when he ran the 2011 Boston Marathon this past April.

“Just knowing that I was raising money for an incredible cause like THON, that’s what fired me up,” said my dad, Mike Tecce, when I asked him how Steve would be feeling during the race. “One of the most incredible things to me was how many cheers I got for my THON shirt from spectators.”

For more information on Cents of Hope and how you can donate, you can check out the Cents of Hope website and Facebook page, and follow @hopeFTK.