Club Volleyball has been lucky enough to be paired with two Four Diamonds families. The Pattersons and the Mehalicks have shown us what strength and perseverance really are, and we THON for them.

The Pattersons are a fantastic family who have been with Club Volleyball since 2010. Karen (the Mom), Jack, Maggie, and Katie are the most fun-loving and inspiring people, and they are the motivation behind everything we do. At only 8 years old, Maggie was diagnosed with histiocytosis in August of 2009. Maggie had to go through chemotherapy, and through it all was such a brave little girl. Her family was also so strong and positive throughout the entire experience that we could not help but be inspired. After treatment and numerous hospital visits, Maggie was deemed to be in remission in the summer of 2011. Maggie loved to play soccer with her twin sister Katie, go skiing with both of her siblings, and play the piano. Sadly, Maggie passed away in 2015, and not a day goes by that we don’t remember Maggie and what THON meant to her. We still LOVE hanging out with the family in their hometown and seeing Katie and Jack thrive at everything they do. They are amazing kids!

The Mehalicks were paired with us in the fall of 2015, and we have fallen in love with them since. Nicole (the mom), Monica (the grandma), Makenzie, Maurice, Maliyah, and Madison are a big family with even bigger hearts. Makenzie was diagnosed in 2014 with ovarian cancer. She was only 14 years old. After a long battle and outstanding courage, Makenzie has now been in remission since April, 2015! She loves hunting and drawing, as well as hanging out with her mom and younger siblings. We have a great time with the Mehalicks and watching Makenzie grow into an outstanding, beautiful, smart young woman.

As an organization we fundraise all year long and are constantly in contact with the Pattersons and Mehalicks so that we can show them how much they mean to us. We want to give back to them everything that they have given us, so we THON for them. We sincerely appreciate your interest in our efforts to support this great cause for our families and FTK!

ANYONE can join our THON organization, you do not have to be a member of the club volleyball team. If you have any questions about Club Volleyball’s THON organization, please contact Carrie McCartney, THON Chair, at cvm5726@psu.edu.