Countdown to THON: Canning weekends

Countdown to THON: Canning Weekends
By Maggie Schmerin

University Park, Pa. -- As THON weekend rapidly approaches, solicitation and donation efforts are in full swing by student organizations on campus. One of the most popular forms of garnering donations is canister solicitation, or known more affectionately to students as “canning.” Canning weekends are opportunities for student organizations to travel across the commonwealth and other states to raise awareness about THON and solicit donations for The Four Diamonds Fund.

For each canning trip, organizations pick destinations based on where their members live and take advantage of the proximity to large cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Canning trips extend across the Commonwealth and even as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Virginia. Student organizations obtain permits to fundraise outside malls, grocery stores, libraries, and in larger cities, outside sporting events such as Eagle or Steeler football games.

Canners can be spotted wearing large sandwich boards with the THON and Penn State logos, as well as holding cans, from which the event gets its name. Students hold tin cans for those passing by to drop in their donations. Canners spread the word about THON and answer any questions people may have.

Students love canning and see it as a chance to spend a weekend in a new place all the while helping raise funds for children afflicted with cancer. The majority of the total amount an organization raises for THON (around 60 percent of the total) stems from their canning trips. Organizations can raise more than $20,000 on a canning weekend.

Canning weekends have provided numerous positive experiences and memories for Penn State students. Sophomore Liz Guida, who cans as a member of Phi Sigma Pi, recalls what one man said to her, “‘It is amazing what you kids are doing, standing out here in the rain all day. I think you need an umbrella.’ The guy gave us his umbrella.” Guida also recalls, “This man told us his wife died of cancer and to keep doing this. He put $20 in our can.”

There are four canning weekends throughout the year. The first weekend was Oct. 20-22. The canning weekend originally scheduled for Dec. 5-7 was cancelled due to inclement weather and will be rescheduled for a later weekend. The other canning weekends will take place Jan. 23-25, and Feb. 13-15.

Maggie Schmerin is a sophomore and a public relations captain for THON.

For more information on THON, visit http://www.thon.org