THON once again shattered its fundraising record in 2026. After a year of hard work, it was revealed that Penn Staters and thousands of other donors raised $18,841,726.53 all For the Kids, raising the bar for the fifth consecutive year.

The $18.8 million will help ensure that no Four Diamonds family ever receives a medical bill again, and will aim to support the kids through therapy, research, and treatment.

While there is no better cause for the money to be going, there is no denying the impact the total could make if it were to mysteriously hit your bank account.

We brainstormed a handful of things that you could put the dough toward if you were to acquire such a sum. Prices may fluctuate, so take these numbers with a grain of salt.

7,651 Olympic Gold Medals

On Sunday morning of THON Weekend, Jack Hughes netted the overtime game winner in Milan to defeat Canada and secure gold for the Americans. Most of the folks in the Bryce Jordan Center were watching on their phones, setting off a wave of jubilant cheers and “USA” chants from dancers and supporters alike.

At the start of the 2026 Olympics, the price of gold reached a record high of $5,045 per ounce. The Milano Cortina gold medal contains 0.2 ounces, accounting for $1,011 of the award’s composition. However, gold medals haven’t been constructed using solely one material since the 1912 Stockholm Games. In fact, it is required that they contain more than 92.5% silver.

With the presence of 17.637 ounces of silver in each prize, and the price of silver reaching $88.82 per ounce, the total price of each gold medal is approximately $2,563. But, of course, this can fluctuate each day with historical significance. Not to mention that the selling price and worth is significantly higher.

Shoutout Tessa Janecke. Oh, and cue Free Bird.

1,121,531 Beaver Stadium Chicken Baskets

Lower. The. Price. Of. The. Chicken. Baskets.

This food item is a quintessential part of the gameday experience in Happy Valley. It truly wouldn’t be a Saturday in Beaver Stadium without tenders and fries. Yet nothing seems to be impacted by inflation quite like the price of a chicken basket.

Each basket costs $16.80, an absurd amount for the quantity of food being sold. I honestly believe that the cost has risen by nearly two dollars since I arrived on campus two years ago. They’re good, don’t get me wrong. But are they really that good?

Anyway, if you were to take the money from the THON total and save it up for the fall, you would be well fed for 160,218 seasons of Penn State football.

26 Gavin McKenna NIL Contracts

It’s pay to win nowadays in college athletics.

This past year, college hockey underwent a rule change that now permits players from the Canadian Hockey League to transfer into the NCAA.

With the change came Gavin McKenna from the Medicine Hat Tigers, who arrived at Penn State as the most highly anticipated commit in the school’s history. McKenna currently has 43 points in 28 games, and is coming off a 10-point weekend that featured an eight-point game and overtime winner.

But the price of greatness isn’t free. It was announced that McKenna received an NIL contract worth $700,000 to play at Penn State, shattering all collegiate hockey records.

Putting all of the money raised For the Kids toward Penn State hockey would, in all likelihood, make it a super-team. But that would be quite an expensive feat.

0.015 Wicked Movie Grosses

If you stumbled upon a sum of $18.8 million, you would be quite “Popular.”

“Wicked: Part I” and “Wicked: For Good” earned a total of $1,283,900,000 at the box offices, grossing $758.1 million and $525.8 million, respectively. The first adaptation of the Broadway musical became the highest-grossing film in its genre, and became one of the highest of all time as well.

The two movies prompted multiple internet memes, wild actress interviews, and reintroduced an iconic soundtrack to the world. In fact, “holding space for gravity” was even a line in THON’s 2025 line dance.

More movies like this would provide great entertainment, but let’s put the money toward ending childhood cancer “For Good” instead.

12,561,151 Slices Of Doggies Pizza

One of the late-night steals of State College is located on E Calder Way.

While the pub is mostly known for its beer garden, it would be a shell of its current self without its tiny but mighty pizza shack.

On Thursdays through Saturdays after 1 a.m., Doggies offers two slices for a grand total of three dollars, a deal that is simply unmatched anywhere else in town.

Its pepperoni slice borders post-midnight perfection, and this is coming from a New Yorker. But before anyone comes at me, I’ve rarely been sober during consumption.

12.5 million slices are enough for roughly 435 every day for the entire life of an average American. Fuhgeddaboudit and get to eating.

0.18 Stolen Louvre Jewels

In October 2025, individuals dressed as construction workers stole from the most famous art museum in the world in broad daylight, taking jewels that make up the fabric of European and French history.

Among the stolen items were a tiara, a bow, necklaces, earrings, and a crown. The crown belonged to Empress Eugénie, the empress consort of Napoleon, and is one of the favorites at the Louvre for visitors from around the globe.

The jewels alone are worth $88 million, with the remaining stolen items totaling $14 million. The thieves coughed up nothing for the treasures, but if you wanted to be a good Samaritan and pay, it would drain you $102 million.

32 Rec Halls

Penn State’s second most iconic sports facility broke ground in 1927 and opened two years later, making it one of the oldest buildings on campus that still remains operational.

Home to Penn State wrestling, volleyball, gymnastics, and previously basketball, Rec Hall has experienced some pretty amazing moments over the course of its existence, and is easily one of the most recognizable structures on campus.

At the time of its construction, the gym cost just $572,260 to build. Today, that would equate to roughly $10.6 million. A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.

10 Bottles Of Goût De Diamants Champagne

For our bubbly lovers out there, look no further than the “Taste of Diamonds” for your next glass.

Nicknamed the “Drink of the Gods,” the luxury brand was created in 2013 and delivers its customers nothing but quality. If you were to purchase a bottle, congratulations, you can afford the most expensive champagne in the world.

The drink is manufactured in the Grant East Region of France, and can be described as having a floral flavor with a velvety texture. Perhaps it’s best to save this one for New Year’s Eve.

18,841,726 Scratch-Off Tickets

Let me preface this by saying that Onward State does not condone gambling. But if you somehow know for a fact that you can turn nearly $19.9 million into even more money For the Kids, we’re all for it.

Many scratch-off tickets, such as “Simply A Buck” or “Cash On The Spot,” cost just a simple George Washington and can be purchased through the Pennsylvania Lottery.

Have fun testing your luck with the potential to win a maximum total of $18,841,726,000. If you were to hit the jackpot, you would be a Donor Drive champion and etched in THON history forever.

That being said, you don’t need to be a multi-billionaire to contribute to the cause. Any money can go along way in funding pediatric cancer research and support, and Penn State once again showed the power of community in 2026.