THON
 |
|
| Abbreviation | THON |
|---|---|
| Motto | Helping to Conquer Childhood Cancer For The Kids (FTK) |
| Formation | 1973 |
| 24-6000-376 | |
| Legal status | Foundation |
| Purpose | Philanthropy |
| Location |
|
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Executive Director
|
Andrew Smith (2018) |
| Affiliations | Four Diamonds Fund |
|
Volunteers
|
16,500+ |
| Website | www |
The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, commonly referred to as THON, is a 46-hour dance marathon that takes place every February at the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania with the purpose of raising money and providing emotional support to children and families in order to combat pediatric cancer. It was started in 1973 by the university's Interfraternity Council, and in its first year, more than $2,000 was raised, with 39 couples dancing for 30 hours straight. Today, it is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, by involvement and revenue with $13,343,517.33 having been raised at the 2014 event. The money that is raised is donated to The Four Diamonds Fund, a charity devoted to defeating pediatric cancer through research and caring for patients at the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. 74% of funds are transferred to an experimental therapeutics fund while 12% of funds are used for patient and family support. In 2011, the Four Diamonds Experimental Therapeutics Endowment was funded to a level which enabled the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital to recruit two physician scientists to the Four Diamonds research team. More than 15,000 students get involved in THON each year, organizing it and raising funds with the rallying cry, "For The Kids!".
Originally, THON was proposed as a way to rebuild the Intrafraternity Council's image, and began as a dance competition. It began taking place in the HUB Ballroom in 1973, serving as a competition that split proceeds between the marathon winners and a charity.More than $2,000 was raised, and it went to a charity for special needs children, while the couple that raised the most money and completed the thirty-hour marathon received $300. The following year, fundraising efforts multiplied, the length of the event was extended to 48 hours, and more than $10,000 was raised for the American Heart Association.
In 1977, a new charity was selected to be the recipient of the money raised by the dance marathon, The Four Diamonds Fund. That year, nearly $29,000 was raised, and in 1978, nearly $53,000 was raised and designated for pediatric leukemia. That year, in a car accident while traveling from Penn State to the Hershey Medical Center to deliver the check for the money raised, several students were injured, and one, Kevin Steinberg, was killed. Today, one THON organizer is recognized each year for outstanding service with the Kevin Steinberg Award. That event sealed the bond between THON and The Four Diamonds Fund — THON has made a pledge that all money raised will be donated to Four Diamonds as long as they continue the fight against pediatric cancer.
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Wikipedia