Penn State news by
Penn State's student blog

Topics

More

THON Continues To Strive For Inclusivity And Expansion

After months and months of waiting and preparation, dancers will stand in less than three hours. THON 2018 executive director Andrew Smith and public relations director Haley Staub were joined by Four Diamonds co-founder Charles Millard and executive director Suzanne Graney for the pre-event press conference.

THON’s partnership with Four Diamonds has entered its 41st year and a lot has changed over that period of time — with the 46-hour event becoming a yearly spectacle in the fight against childhood cancer. THON has grown beyond just one weekend in February, which is an important aspect for the executive committee.

“I think that we’ve really been able to accomplish a lot this year,” Smith said. “We’ve really tried to bring the community together in new ways throughout the year. We’ve really tried to expand on our events and make sure that we are doing our best to be inclusive and bring everyone into the THON community.”

Part of that expansion dealt with bringing some of the major pre-THON events outside of Happy Valley. For the first time, the yearly “100 Days ‘Til THON” event was celebrated outside of campus with volunteers taking some of the festivities to Hershey.

THON also expanded its fundraising options with the phasing out of canning. It held its first-ever goal-oriented “One Day” campaign with hopes of raising $100,000. It ended up nearly tripling that figure.

“That campaign really showed what we can do as a community,” Smith said. “We mobilized every single student, thousands of alumni, and we absolutely shattered that goal. That was way beyond my expectations. That was a real highlight because it shows the power of the THON community when everyone works toward the same mission.”

The power of the community is a huge reason why inclusivity is important for THON’s continued growth. The goal is for every student to have the opportunity to be involved in THON.

“What I would say to someone about how to get involved with THON or how to learn more, I would say two things,” Smith said. “First is learn a little more about our mission. I think one of the things that keeps people so devoted and so involved, not only as students, but also after they graduate, is there’s a real connection to our mission. Our partnership with Four Diamonds has really helped us because we’ve stayed really connected and I think that’s helped both of our organizations grow and succeed.”

“The other thing I would say, if someone’s looking to learn about THON and see what it’s like, come to THON weekend. It’s one of those events that’s really difficult to describe or sum up in one sentence or even a paragraph. It’s impossible to capture the energy that is in the building.”

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Steve Connelly

Unfortunately, former editor Steve Connelly has graduated. Where is he now? He might be doing something related to that PR degree he got in 2019. Maybe he finally opened that sports bar named after one of his photos, the Blurry Zamboni. Or he might just be eating chicken tenders and couch surfing. Anything’s possible. If you really want to know, follow him on Twitter @slc2o.

[Photo Story] Elevated Views From Happy Valley

Our photographers looked down and saw the world below from a handful of elevated vantage points.

Penn State’s Restorative Justice Initiative Offering Bachelor’s Degrees To Incarcerated Individuals

The program will allow incarcerated persons to work toward a degree while in prison.

WBIT Creating Newfound Attention For Women’s College Basketball

The Lady Lions are headed to the semifinals after an energetic win in the last home game of the season.

Follow on Another Platform
113kFollowers
164kFollowers
59.4kFollowers
4,570Subscribers
Other posts by Steve

Penn State Softball’s Season Ends With Big Ten Tournament Loss To Indiana

The Hoosiers made the Penn State defense work and used an aggressive third inning to take the lead and move on in the tournament.

Penn State Softball’s Toni Polk And Chelsea Bisi Earn All-Big Ten Selections

Penn State Softball Gears Up For Return To Big Ten Tournament