Berks THON
The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately referred to as THON, is excited to have you join us in our fight to conquer childhood cancer. In 1973, a small group of dedicated Penn State students held our first Dance Marathon. That year, 39 dancer couples participated and raised $2,000. Since then, THON’s presence in the Penn State community has grown exponentially. THON now has 15,000 student volunteers, 700 dancers, and has raised more than $80 million, benefiting The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.
THON is now a year-long effort that raises funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. With the support of students from all across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and THON Alumni all around the world, we continue to make great strides towards finding a cure for all childhood cancers!
Thank you for your interest in learning more about THON. Together, we’ll make a difference in the life of a child.
“When they say, ‘We Are Penn State,’ this is what they are talking about.” - Joe Paterno
THON Kids!
|
|
Natalie In August of 2007, Natalie became sick while she was down at the shore with her family. She was taken to her pediatrician that referred her to Penn State Hershey Medical Center. There, they took several tests and blood samples. On September 12, 2007, Natalie was diagnosed with what is called Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia also known as A.L.L. Although they caught this very early, she was still considered high risk because of her abnormal blood count. She had several complications throughout her illness including a MediPort infection, pneumonia, and extreme weight loss. However, she stayed strong throughout her chemotherapy until May of 2008 where she then entered "Maintenance" treatment (light duty chemo) at the age of 2. While in this stage, she did well but did have to stay in the hospital due to a strep infection.. Natalie is currently in remission since December 19, 2009 when she finished her chemotherapy! Nat is currently a happy, energetic, and most importantly, HEALTHY little 5-year-old girl! |
Jason In June of 2003, Jason was diagnosed with liver cancer at the age of 2. He was then admitted to Penn State Hershey Medical Center where he stayed the duration of his treatment. There had been several complications and at one point they did not think that Jason was going to survive. Fortunately, Jason was an extremely strong fighter and survived through his treatments. As of February 2004, Jason was considered in remission and went for monthly-check-ups at the Hershey Medical Center. Five years later on February of 2009, days before THON Weekend, Jason was termed cancer FREE! Jason is currently doing wonderfully and doing everything he loves to do such as playing football and baseball, and wrestling with his brother! We are fortunate to say that he is an incredibly healthy 10-year-old boy. |
EVENTS
The 2012 Fundraising Season is over!! GOOD JOB ALL!!!
Exec Board Members
2012-2013 Exec Board Members
OVERALL FUNDS: Alana Augello
OVERALL RELATIONS: Melissa Suaer
FAMILY RELATIONS: Taylor Mahoney
FUNDRAISING: Alex Miller
PUBLIC RELATIONS: Becky Winters
Donor Alumni Relations: Jeanine Snow
MERCHANDISING: Kate Harley
SGA: Danielle Cummings
TREASURER: Briana Lackman
Tech Chair and Website Admin: Katie Suarez
Advisor: Andrea Pfaff
Advisor: Alexa Wojciechowski
Contact Information
Need to get ahold of us. Here is our contact information.
Melissa Sauer: mrs5498@psu.edu
Alana Augello: ama5397@psu.edu