Name: Mitch Wagner

Major: Computer science

Previous THON Experience:

• THON 2021 Rules & Regulations committee member
• THON 2022 Technology captain (special projects)
• THON 2023 Technology Director

What made you want to apply for a director position for THON 2024?

THON is a relentless force, fighting childhood cancer and delivering eternal hope, strength, and joy to thousands of children and families. Driven by the courage of those fighting and in memory of those we have lost, I THON to stand by every child in their fight. I THON to give kids the chance to enjoy their childhood and grow up to achieve their dreams. I THON to ensure that no family will have to hear the devastating words, “Your child has cancer.”

Throughout all of my experiences in THON, I have found boundless motivation in the tiniest of moments. Running through a corn maze, sitting in a parachute bubble, or dressing up as a robot, all alongside the bravest kid you’ve ever met. The smiles and laughter shared in these moments are euphoric and is time when kids get to be kids. We stand for the Celebration of Life, hold the Perpetual Pennants, and read our families’ stories. While these moments can be sobering, they speak volumes to the importance of our mission. They remind us of our duty to create a world free from childhood cancer. These highs and lows serve as constant reminders of my “why” and push me to give my all every day. As a director, I want to continue to empower our volunteers and ignite their passion for our mission.

What are your responsibilities as a THON director?

As the Fundraising Safety director, my main responsibility is fostering success and integrity throughout our community in their fundraising efforts. I serve a team of incredible captains, mostly split into three teams: fundraising outreach, fundraising development, and online giving. Fundraising outreach connects with organizations to communicate fundraising practices and helps us learn from their successes. Fundraising development reviews fundraising ideas and several types of requests to ensure they are aligned with our mission and the THON rulebook. Online giving supports the use of DonorDrive, the peer-to-peer fundraising platform used to spread awareness and raise funds digitally. Together, we ensure organizations are able to effectively fundraise in a fun and safe way!

What do you want to implement in your position this year that’s unique and differs from years past?

Last year, I served as the technology director, an experience that gave me tremendous insight into how technology empowers THON. This year, I want to learn how we can maximize our impact in this era of digital fundraising. One specific initiative I hope to further during our year is making data-driven decisions. I believe that by consistently keeping track of our efforts, we can create valuable insights that allow us to confidently take risks and easily identify areas for improvement, to inform future decisions. DonorDrive offers the consistent tracking of fundraising that we need, so I’m exploring how we can use this data to better support organizations and determine the effectiveness of our initiatives.

What makes your committee so cool, fun, and/or important?

While Fundraising Safety’s role requires ensuring our community upholds THON’s mission with integrity, we more often serve as guides for successful fundraising. We work directly with organizations to brainstorm fundraising ideas, communicate fundraising initiatives, and offer advice. It’s incredibly rewarding to support organizations that are new to THON or looking to expand their efforts, ensuring they have a successful fundraising year, just as organizations that have learned through the experience of supporting THON for many years.

In addition, Fundraising Safety captains lead half of the Rules & Regulations committee members, alongside the Event Safety captains. R&R provides safety and security to the children, families, and volunteers of THON and the Four Diamonds. They serve as a resource to our community at events, ensuring they have positive experiences and ensuring the future of THON. It’s certainly special to serve a dual role of ensuring both fundraising and events are fun and safe.

What are the overall goals you hope to reach with your committee for THON 2024?

Our committee’s theme for the year is Love Ignites Passion. The theme speaks to our goal of inspiring and motivating our volunteers to make a positive impact in the fight against childhood cancer. It reminds us of how the love we share for the mission and the families is the driving force behind our dedication. Our goal is to spread this enthusiasm throughout our community, from organization chairs to committee members. We aim to ignite the next generation of passionate THON volunteers by building a space where volunteers feel at home and showing them where our passion began.

Why do you THON?

Every time I heard Charles Millard share Christopher’s story, he shared something that would perpetually resonate with me. As Charles said, Christopher wanted to come back as a wizard and make people well. Everyone in the THON community is a wizard, and our efforts give those wizards their powers. I THON because I want to empower the wizards.

What’s your favorite THON memory?

During Family Hour of THON Weekend 2022, I was on the floor during the Celebration of Life, a video that honors the children who continue to inspire our fight. Standing alongside fellow volunteers, dancers, and families, we all linked arms, swaying back and forth. Watching pictures and home videos of these families filled with joy, I felt a wave of tremendous emotion coming over me. I’m here to fight for these families as if they were my own because I know that the impact childhood cancer has on them is unimaginable. On the floor, everyone embraced to support each other. The radiating sense of unity felt during moments like these always reminds me of the THON community’s strength. Dancers, volunteers, supporters, and families are all coming together, driven to make an impact. Collectively, our contributions are extremely powerful, changing the lives of so many as we conquer childhood cancer.

Per Onward State tradition, if you could be any dinosaur, which one would you be and why?

The “no internet” dino in Google Chrome. Much like the split-second decisions the dino has to make when it gets to a cactus, I, too, am good at problem-solving quickly.