Just a few hours prior to THON 2026 on Friday, members of the THON Executive Committee and Four Diamonds executives spoke to the media in a pre-THON press conference in the Bryce Jordan Center.

THON 2026 Executive Director Ben Roitman, Public Relations Director Vraj Patel, Four Diamonds Executive Director Suzanne Graney, and Stacia Millard Bird, the sister of Four Diamonds writer Christopher Millard and daughter of Charles and Irma Millard, founders of Four Diamonds, took to the stand. Roitman and Bird are members of the Four Diamonds Advisory Board.

Roitman is responsible for leading 18 students on the THON Executive Committee. He directly oversaw all of THON’s yearlong fundraising efforts, weekend planning and execution, organization structure, and relationship with Four Diamonds.

Roitman explained THON’s full efforts leading up the weekend, starting on July 1, 2025, the start of the fundraising window and 2026 fiscal year. He highlighted the THON football game in September, the THON 5k in October, the Dream Forward campaign launch, and 100 Days ’til THON.

Graney gave a quick review of Four Diamonds and its relationship with THON, as well as the money it raises for the Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital.

“We’ve made some really great strides, and this is our 49th year of partnership between THON and Four Diamonds, and there have been significant strides made during that time,” Graney said. “Survival rates have increased, which is fantastic. New treatments have been discovered, which we are able to put in our children’s lives to extend their lives and to make their lives better. But we still have work to do, and that’s why we’re here and we’ll continue to be here until we have time where we, as we like to say, dance in celebration because we found a cure.”

Bird followed suit with an overview of her father and her family’s history. Four Diamonds was founded in honor of her brother, Christopher.

“That man did not miss one THON. He was here for every one. I was just at the Penn Stater this morning, where they had some yearbooks there. There was one from 1983 and I’m like ‘I bet there’s something in here, let me look,'” Bird said. “And sure enough, there’s a spread … I think they raised $95,000 that year. There were 180 people involved. So it has evolved, evolved over the years, but he loved coming here. It was the most special thing to him every year.”

Roitman closed the press conference by highlighting some differences in the 54th annual THON compared to previous years.

“One thing that is hopefully going to be felt throughout the Bryce Jordan Center this year that’s a little more fun and unique is our theme hours are going to be a much more engaging, whole-arena experience. Our entertainment and dancer relations committees have poured a lot of effort into that, to make those more uplifting,” Roitman said. “One of the things we recognized is it’s obviously a very taxing weekend for the dancers, but spectators spend a lot of time of the weekend in the stands, too. And they’re taking as much of a stand against childhood cancer as those on the floor, so we wanted to do a better job of supporting them.”