The final 16 or so hours of THON are probably the biggest emotional roller coaster you will ever go on.
You start off with the thrills of the pep rally, the tears and laughs of dancer mail, the long overnight where anything could happen and Family Hour which occurs in the 43rd hour.
Your brain doesn’t know how to process this at times, something I now know from experience.
The 46 hours of THON Weekend mean many things to many people. But to 7-year-old Justin Burns, it's a chance to hang out with the big kids. I got a chance to speak with Justin and his mother Maria Sunday morning as the final hours approached. I found out his favorite THON activities, hobbies and how he spent his weekend in State College. The Burns are a Four Diamond Family from Avoca, PA and Justin is Glee Club/Oriana's (GC/O) Four Diamonds Child. Justin and his mother traveled to State College Friday for their second THON. Read on for more about their weekend at THON.
Our second submission from David Adewumi, this video features Penn State quarterback Rob Bolden experiencing his first THON.
We lent David Adewumi our Flip camera for a couple hours this weekend. Here’s his first report from the dance floor.
The sun has finally risen on the last day of THON, but that doesn't mean the day is over, but actually far from it. Yes, 40 hours may have been completed, but it's the next 6 that are crucial to the 708 dancers.
At this point, it is beyond cliched to say that THON unites all of Penn State behind a common cause--the fight towards the eradication of childhood cancer. But for some involved with THON, the charity and the event take on a greater meaning. Count dancer Eric Clair amongst those who have a personal connection with pediatric cancer. "When he was 9 months old, Eric was diagnosed with cancer," his mother, Cindy, explains.