Ever wonder how THON was created or where it was hosted before Penn State built the 15,000-person capacity Bryce Jordan Center?

THON, or at least Penn State’s dance marathon to raise money for childhood cancer, has been hosted in four different locations. Its roots go back to 1972, before THON was its official name, and when IFC President Bill Lear proposed the idea of a dance marathon for childhood cancer. The following year, 78 students gathered in the HUB ballroom for the 30-hour-long IFC dance marathon. The inaugural year raised $2,000.

The influence grew in it’s early years, and in 1977, Four Diamonds took over as the sole beneficiary of the dance marathon. Two years later, the dance had to be moved to the White Building to accommodate the increasing number of dancers. The White Building also featured a new rule: dancers no longer competed against each other, and now shared a goal to stand for the duration of the event.

In its sixth and seventh years at the White Building, Penn State’s dance marathon hit six figures for the first time, raising $131,182, and became the largest philanthropy as dancers stood for 48 hours. THON was officially adopted as the name in 1987.

The White Building still holds the record in years hosting THON, at 20, but the BJC is closing in on the number. In 1999, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world was moved to Rec Hall, which offered more space for a supporting crowd.

In 2007, on THON’s 35th anniversary, it got a new venue, the BJC. With double the capacity of Rec Hall, the BJC became a perfect fit for THON. In 2025, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world raised $17,737,040.93.