A few hours before dancers stood for the 53rd annual THON on Friday, members of the THON Executive Committee and Four Diamonds executive members addressed the media in a pre-THON press conference inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

THON 2025 Executive Director Keegan Sobczak and Public Relations Director Kaitlyn Wolfe were joined by Four Diamonds Executive Director Suzanne Graney and Stacia Swan Millard Bird, the sister of Christopher Millard and daughter of Four Diamonds co-founders Charles and Irma Millard. Bird, along with Sobczak, serves on the Four Diamonds Advisory Board.

Sobczak oversees the 16 members of the THON executive committee and serves as the main liaison to Penn State admin, Student Affairs, University Development, and Four Diamonds.

Sobczak gave a run-down of the year-long effort of THON’s mission from THON 5K to 100 Days ‘Til THON. THON 2025’s campaign officially kicked off on July 1, followed by “Harvest Day” in the fall, where Four Diamonds families were celebrated outdoors while the weather was still nice.

Graney, who has served as the executive director of Four Diamonds since 2010, gave a brief overview of Four Diamonds, THON’s sole beneficiary, and its deep-rooted relationship with the dance marathon.

“We’ve been partnering with THON since 1977, so this is a deep and long partnership,” Graney said. “They have helped us make so many things possible for Four Diamonds children and their families. One of the things that THON makes possible is that we are able to cover the cost of care for all of our Four Diamonds children, for all of their cancer care that’s happening at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital. That means when a parent hears that their child has cancer, they don’t have to immediately worry… It is such a beautiful gift to be able to keep that pressure away from patients.”

Graney expressed that, through THON, Four Diamonds can successfully fulfill its mission and dedication to awareness, support, and research.

“Hope is what bond provides through the funding that they provide to us that is taking care of the cost of care and the specialty providers,” Graney said. “But the biggest area of hope that they are providing is through funding for research. That is what will ultimately lead us to a cure, and a cure is what we’ve all been working for. Our tagline is conquering childhood cancer, and it’s been that way since Stacia’s parents co-founded Four Diamonds.”

Bird then took the floor to explain how much support THON truly provides to families. Four Diamonds was created in her brother Christopher’s honor following his three-year battle with cancer.

“My dad didn’t miss one [THON] up until him passing away in 2021,” Bird said. “I like the theme too. It’s like, come home. And I feel like I feel them both now around me here in the logos and the smiles, just the energy and everything. It’s invigorating. And it was the day that he looked forward to his whole life. It was getting to THON every year.”

Graney closed out the press conference by sharing how Four Diamond’s continuous research has been impacted by THON and its mission.

“When we think about what we’ve been able to do in research, it is that funding that gave us the opportunities for high-risk, high-reward projects that are now coming to fruition,” Graney said. “We had two clinical trials open in the fall under Penn State’s leadership. So, we have participated in clinical trials at our children’s hospital and our college of medicine for quite some time, but we have not initiated and led those trials. That’s what THON’s funding, that consistent funding has helped make happen.”