After an eventful 46 hours of fun, reflection, and celebration, THON 2016 officially came to close. THON PR Director Lily Beatty took the podium with her fellow executive directors, fielding questions from those in attendance.

Beatty thanked everybody for coming out before opening with a statement. “Year after year, our fundraising total serves as one of several ways to measure success during the weekend,” Beatty said. “We have alumni, donors, supporters, and our students contributing to this incredible total.”  

Questions were sparse, but Beatty addressed one major topic in reaffirming THON’s commitment to canning. While she didn’t specifically state that canning would immediately return, but that it’d be properly reevaluated as the planning process for THON 2017 begins. “We are committed to preserving canning,” Beatty said. “But we’re doing so in a careful way in working with the university to find ways to mitigate any risk involved.” Beatty followed up that the amount generated from canning varies year by year, with factors such as weather and coinciding sporting events playing roles in the final amount.

Beatty also addressed the final total, which was significantly lower than 2015’s total of $13,026,653.23.

“No matter what, students raised over $9.7 million for Four Diamonds families affected by pediatric cancer,” Beatty said. “And it wasn’t just the money. Standing 46 hours in the fight against cancer is crucial for awareness. This weekend and this year were incredibly successful in doing that and raising awareness for our cause.”

Beatty and her team lauded the efforts of everybody involved, calling the weekend a tremendous success and stating that she could not be prouder of those who volunteered their time to ensure THON 2016 ran as smooth as possible.