The Special Interest Association (SIA) is pairing with the Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group (DMAIG) this weekend to host a special tailgate in honor of Coast2Coast Walker Norman Horn.

For those of you who may not be caught up, Horn is a Penn State alum who’s walking across America — literally — for the Four Diamonds Fund. This Saturday, Sept. 20, Horn is planning to walk through State College just in time for the UMass game and plans to stay through Tuesday the following week. The organizers of the event are asking anyone who can to line Curtin Road (from Bigler to Beaver Stadium’s Gate E) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday to cheer Norm on as he comes along his route to the tailgate. As soon as Norm passes them, they are more than welcome to join his final few steps.

“We decided to do something for Norm because he’s an alum with a big heart doing a pretty awesome thing for the kids at Hershey,” said DMAIG director of regional events and Onward State alumna Maddy Pryor. “He’s been on TV, visited families affected by pediatric cancer, and even got to throw the first pitch at the Pirates’ game this weekend. We had to do something as he walks through his home away from home, State College.”

The event came to be when Pryor reached out to THON’s Executive Committee to put something together for Horn as a celebration for all he’s done so far FTK. However, because Horn’s efforts are supporting the Four Diamonds Fund and not THON itself, the committee had its hands tied. That was where the SIA came in.

“Everyone knows that the Special Interest community has one focus: to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research and treatments,” said SIA President Clara Etter. “With this commonality among these organizations, I find it important to reach out to others who fight for a similar cause. Norman is walking across the U.S. to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. That’s a tremendous feat, and the SIA wants to show him our support on his journey in any small way we can.”

The Centre County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association was also generous enough to join these two organizations in pulling off the tailgate. Thanks to Norman for everything he’s done FTK!