THON

ONE DAY WE WILL DANCE IN CELEBRATION

UNTIL THEN, WE WILL DANCE FOR A CURE

“Our mission is to provide emotional and financial support, spread awareness and ensure funding for critical research – all in pursuit of a cure.”

THON is a student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer

THON.ORG

Penn State takes pride in THON and students look forward to this event all year round. I never would have imagined how involved I would be able to get with this philanthropy because of the overwhelming size of committees and organizations. Penn State has hundreds of organizations and approximately 15,000 volunteers that all come together to make THON happen. THON raises nearly 10 million dollars every year towards finding the cure for all childhood cancers.

After being at Penn State for just two years, THON has allowed me to understand my love for improving the lives of others. In 2016, I managed to stand for 42 out of the 46 hours, I was able to watch as the video played during the final four hours and there is absolutely no way to describe the feeling one gets after seeing the faces of families that they have been able to help.

In 2017, Penn State raised over $10,045,000, which was roughly $400,000 than the previous year. In total Penn State has raised nearly $147,000,000 between donations and fundraisers that students have worked hard for all year long.

THON CHAIR 2017, 2018

LEADERSHIP

I am grateful to have been able to take on a leadership role of a THON Chair in my sorority. Although it does get hectic during the last few weeks, we have come to realize that every dollar counts and there is no efforts left unappreciated. THON Chairs are responsible for organizing and thinking of new ways to earn money for their organizations. Being apart of Kappa Delta has allowed me to create relationships with our THON families and children that I will never forget.

The fundraising requirements of a THON Chair include:

  • Participating in canning trips (canners will travel to different neighborhoods or states and take to the streets to raise money for THON and Four Diamonds)
  • Letter writing with THONvelopes (family members and friends can donate towards specific organizations total this way)
  • Small business and corporate petitions (leaving THON buckets at local restaurants or shops where people have the ability to leave a donation)
  • Going canvasing (going door to door and asking for donations)
  • Coming up with alternative fundraising events