Club Cross Country Benefiting THON™
We run for the Kaufmans, for the Potters, for the Morrisons
What is THON?
The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world benefiting children and families impacted by childhood cancer. All proceeds raised benefit Four Diamonds at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Each year, our fundraising culminates in a 46-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon in the Bryce Jordan Center. Since 1977, THON has raised over $147 million for Four Diamonds, engaging over 16,500 student volunteers annually.
What is Club XC’s involvement in THON?
Club Cross Country participates in THON as a general organization, raising money through various fundraisers and operating on our own behalf, with proceeds contributing to THON’s annual total each year. Some of the fundraisers we hold annually include Ribbon Sales, THONvelopes, and the Donut Dash 5K. Our most successful fundraiser for the past few years (as well as THON’s most successful alternative fundraiser!) has been Miles for Smiles, a 46-hour treadmill relay.
Club XC is proud to be paired with two awesome families through the Adopt-a-Family program: the Jake Morrison and Corban Potter families! Our families are the heart of why we THON. They inspire our team to be passionate, strong, loving, and hopeful every day. Read more about our families, their battles with childhood cancer, and our unique bond with each of them by following this link.
For THON 2024, Club XC contributed $75,402.02!! We ranked as the 7th highest fundraising general org!
For all members of Club XC, come join our Club XC Benefiting THON Facebook page for details on fundraisers, family events, and THON weekend! Email clubxcbenefitingthon@gmail.com or reach out to a THON Chair with any questions!
THON Chairs
Organize various fundraisers, help teammates form meaningful relationships with our paired families, and engage donors and alumni with our philanthropic efforts.
Jen Miller- Primary Chair
(she/her)
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Jen is a senior from Lynnfield, Massachusetts, a town about 20 minutes north of Boston, and she is majoring in statistics and psychology. Jen started running with her dad in middle school, and then joined the cross country team in high school. She loved the environment of the team, so deciding to run with Club XC at Penn State was easy! Jen also loved how much the team bonded over THON at Miles for Smiles during her freshman year, and she is excited to continue fostering a positive and passionate atmosphere for current and future team members. Outside of running, you can find Jen listening to music, attempting a new dinner recipe, or hanging out with friends! |
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John Davis- Family Relations Chair
(he/him)
jtd5446@psu.eduJohn is a senior majoring in biomedical engineering, from Newtown, PA. He has been running ever since 5th grade, and was eager to join Club XC as soon as he found about the club after arriving at Penn State. Over the course of his life, John has met some of his closest friends through running, including all of the great friends he has met through Club XC. He loves how welcoming the club is towards new members, and is always excited to connect with new people on the team. Additionally, John is thrilled to continue participating in Club XC’s THON efforts this year! When he is not running circles around State College, John can always be found listening to new music, hanging out with his friends, or strumming the guitar in his apartment. |
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Raya Pauling- Fundraising Chair
(she/her)
rlp5653@psu.eduRaya is a junior majoring in Environmental Systems Engineering from Montoursville PA. She has been running since middle school, and has so much love for the sport and her amazing team. She truly feels like this team has become her family at Penn State, and that Club XC is hands down her favorite part of her Penn State experience. She loves all things outdoorsy, including skiing, hiking, kayaking , scuba diving, and she also loves spending time with her friends. Raya is so incredibly excited to get the chance to give back to this team as a THON chair and to see where the year goes! |
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Dan Innocente
(he/him)
dji5111@psu.eduDan is a senior majoring in Human Centered Design and Development from Staten Island, New York. He started running in high school with his track and field team. After joining Club XC at the beginning of freshman year his passion for running was reignited thanks to the motivation and kindness from various team members. He is very passionate about using the hard work of Club XC to find fun ways to help families in need and is very excited to help more team members get involved with THON. When he’s not running he’s almost always watching a movie or listening to the music of Bruce Springsteen. |
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Madhura Dahale
(she/her)
mvd6137@psu.eduMadhura is a sophomore from Souderton, PA studying Kinesiology. She started running in sixth grade and continued running with her school’s cross country and track teams throughout high school. At Penn State, she knew she wanted to keep running and Club XC was the perfect place to do it. She has made some of her closest friends through the team, and especially loved the club’s involvement with THON. Besides running, Madhura loves to spend time with her family and friends, read, and is a big Eagles fan! |
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