The 46-hour Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) once again has set a new record, raising $10,686,924.83 for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, surpassing last year's record $9.56 million. Funds raised by THON go to support the Four Diamonds Fund and its pediatric cancer patients, families and researchers at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital who are working to find better treatments and, ultimately, cures for forms of cancer that afflict children. First held in 1973, THON has partnered with Four Diamonds Fund since 1977 and in that time has raised more than $89 million FTK -- "For The Kids." (more)
Matt Pavelic and Matt Piotrowski, two third-year medical students, will represent Penn State Hershey Medical Center as dancers at this year's THON, which will take place this Friday through Sunday at University Park. (more)
Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Mick Jagger and David Bowie danced in the streets for a video for Live Aid to help raise money to defeat famine in Ethiopia. Penn State New Kensington students Joe Mandak, Erin Prager, Andrew Holodnik and Kelsie Nury will be dancing live in the Bryce Jordan Center for THON to help raise money to defeat pediatric cancer in the world.
The New Kensington dancers will join more than 700 Penn State students from all the campuses at the Jordan Center during the 46-hour, no sitting, no sleeping marathon. All monies raised through the dance marathon directly benefit the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. (more)
When Penn State student Elaine Tanella heads to campus, she knows that she is going to have a busy day; not because of a heavy course load, but because she runs the largest student-run philanthropy in the world: the Penn State Dance Marathon, commonly known as THON. A fifth-year bioengineering senior, she serves as the 2012 THON overall chairwoman, a year-long position which includes responsibilities such as outlining goals and new ideas for this weekend's upcoming dance marathon (Feb. 17-19), as well as overseeing more than 15,000 volunteers who make THON happen. (more)
There's a face that is being seen around campus at Penn State DuBois for the first time. It's that of Mathematics Instructor John Tolle. Though he has taught on campus for a few years now, this is the first time anyone here has seen the face under the beard. Tolle volunteered to have his hair and beard auctioned off in support of THON during the annual Hair Auction, organized by the DuBois THON Committee. He raised more than $1,600 for the cause, which supports pediatric cancer research. (more)
Penn State sophomore Maddie Sherlock was a freshman in high school when her brother Carl, then 20 and a Penn State student, got sick. A trip to the emergency room of Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College turned into a helicopter trip to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where ultimately he was diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor. "Why he got a pediatric tumor at the age of 20 no one knows, but it does happen and it did to our family," said Susie Sherlock about her son's diagnosis. She also said, "THON is a wonderful thing, and Four Diamonds is a wonderful thing. We feel very fortunate that the night they life-flighted Carl from Mount Nittany they sent him to Hershey." (more)
Eating their vegetables, working out, getting sleep, and cutting down on caffeine and sugar are just a few things Penn State York students Kaitlyn Dunbar, 19, and Joe Weaver, 18, are doing as they get ready to head to University Park to represent the campus in the 40th Annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON), "Brighten Every Journey," set for Feb. 17 - 19 at the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC).
The two dancers were chosen to represent Penn State York based on a variety of criteria including spirit points they earned since September by doing a variety of activities to raise funds for THON. THON, as the dance marathon is affectionately known, is the largest student-run philanthropy in the country and its goal is to raise money to help fight pediatric cancer.
In addition to raising money, through THON, the campus sponsors the Hagens family. Ava Hagens, a 4-year-old from York, Pa., was diagnosed on July 24, 2009, with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Since that time she has undergone a variety of treatments and recently completed her chemotherapy and is in remission. This is her third trip to THON along with her parents Jessica and Greg. (more)
For the first time since its inception in 2007, the executive speaker series at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, Leadership in Focus: Executive Insights, will host a current Penn State student as a featured speaker. Elaine Tanella, overall chair of the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, will be the college's guest speaker on Feb 24.
Tanella, a senior Schreyer Scholar majoring in bioengineering with a minor in Italian, will join Smeal Dean James B. Thomas for an interactive on-stage conversation at 11:15 a.m. in the Business Building's Struthers Auditorium (110 BB) on the University Park campus. The talk is free and open to the public. (more)
Two Penn State Beaver students will dance in Penn State's upcoming 46-hour Dance Marathon, known as THON, Feb. 17-19 at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State University Park. Freshman Angelique Matthews, Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), is from Cypress, Calif., and JJ (James) Figas of Beaver is a sophomore in the DUS program.
Prior to the event, Beaver students are soliciting support from the campus and community, and will continue canning at approved locations this weekend and next.In addition, Beaver students will host a Blood Drive for THON, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Lodge of the Student Union Building. The public is invited to register to give blood, but walk-in appointments will also be accepted.
To donate to THON and credit Beaver campus, contact Moon, or visit www.thon.org. (more)
This year, Penn State Schuylkill students have raised more than $22,000 for THON, the largest amount raised in campus history. THON, believed to be the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, is a University-wide effort and has raised more than $78 million to fight pediatric cancer since 1973. This year, two students: Vincent Carrano of Pottsville, Pa., and Derek Stufflet, of Philadelphia, have been selected to represent Schuylkill campus at the 46-hour dance marathon, to be held on the weekend of Feb. 17 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. (more)
