When one hears the words Penn State, many things come to mind. For most who do not attend PSU, their first thoughts are probably football, the WE ARE chant or the creamery. For many students, the first word that comes to mind is "THON." http://donate.thon.org
The first Penn State Dance MaraTHON was held in 1973 inside the HUB but quickly had to be relocated to the Bryce Jordan Center due to the number of people who got involved.
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For those who do not know, "THON is a student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer. Our mission is to provide emotional and financial support, spread awareness and ensure funding for critical research – all in pursuit of a cure." The event itself is a 46 hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon committed to raising awareness and money in the hope of making the words "pediatric cancer" a thing of the past. Each year, over 15,000 students come together to make a difference (https://thon.org/press/fastfacts/numbers).
Although everyone involved in THON wants to help make a difference, the reasons behind their involvement vary, so I asked 16 students why they THON:
I THON:
1. so that hearing "your child has cancer" is neither a death sentence nor a debt sentence
2. for more tomorrows.
3. because every family deserves to know they're not alone in their battle.
4. so one day we can celebrate a world without childhood cancer.
5. so that one day, no parent has to hear the words "your child has cancer."
6. because no sibling should have to watch their little sister or brother suffer.
7. so no one has to lose their best friend.
8. so no relative has to have a hole in their family.
9. to help find a cure.
10. so that one day all the brave little fighters can be heroic survivors.
11. so that one day survivors can tell their kids about this scary battle they fought, but they used their strength, wisdom, honesty, and courage to overcome it.
12. because I know how hard it was as a child seeing my mom battle cancer, and I can't imagine having the roles reversed and a parent having to watch a child struggle.
13. to bring joy into the families' lives and make them forget about cancer for one weekend.
14. because it's everyone's responsibility to protect the lives of children; they are the future.
15. because for so long my family was on the receiving side of an organization like THON and I am incredibly grateful that now I have the opportunity to be on the giving side.
16. For The Kids.
