For her final THON, Penn State senior Makenzie Tobin expected to be in the Bryce Jordan Center surrounded by friends and family.

Now, while she may not be in University Park, Tobin is adding a Philly flair to her THON 2021 experience.

When Tobin was chosen as a dancer for Penn State’s Sign Language Organization (SLO), she figured she would dance from her living room. However, her boyfriend, who is a member of the AQUA String Band, and his family worked with Tobin’s family to find a fun, COVID-19-safe alternative.

Their solution? Decking out the AQUA String Band’s clubhouse with lights, music, and signs to support Tobin as she stands for 46(ish) hours.

For those unfamiliar, string bands, a.k.a. Mummers, are famous to Philadelphia, performing during the annual New Year’s Day parade after a year-long rehearsal effort. According to Tobin, New Year’s Day is like their THON Weekend.

While Tobin knew in advance that she would be dancing from the clubhouse, she said that she has no idea what exactly is in store for the weekend.

“The best part about it is that it’s like this big secret. I’ll be so surprised when I show up, but it’s really my close family members who are going to be there supporting me,” Tobin said.

In addition to decorating, Tobin’s family is helping to make this weekend as realistic as possible by acting as “committee members.” Her cousins, who both danced in THON and served as THON captains, will fulfill some of the duties of DRCMs, like keeping her entertained and happy. Additionally, her aunt, who is a certified nurse practitioner, will be on hand throughout the weekend for any medical needs.

Tobin and her family are also taking precautions against COVID-19 by enforcing mask-wearing and temperature checks.

Tobin emphasized just how important her family is and will be during this weekend.

“My cousins have been my role models since I was a little girl. Everything that they’ve done, I wanted to do. When I was at my first THON at seven years old, I was in the stands with my family, and I looked at my mom and I said, ‘I’m going to do this one day. I’m going to go to Penn State and be involved in THON, and I’m going to dance when I’m a senior,” Tobin said.

The journey for Tobin has truly come full circle. From attending her first THON to doing the line dance on stage with her cousin to attending THON as a Penn State student on a Dancer Relations committee, Tobin feels that she has fulfilled her personal goals. But her reasons to be involved with THON are for more than living out her dreams.

Tobin says that she THONs for not only her organization’s THON child, Meghan, but to make an impact on the THON community.

Tobin also said that she admires how quickly the THON community came together to persevere through these tough times and make the best of the situation.

“Seeing how THON brings people together is just incredible. My big thing in my heart is I’ve always been FTK, and that’s been my biggest push.”