THON is a year-long event. THON is soliciting. THON is canning. THON is people. THON is dancing. THON is pain. THON is the children. Most of all, though, THON is seeing real heroes.

The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, with all proceeds benefiting The Four Diamonds Fund, Conquering Childhood Cancer, at the Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. After a year-round fundraising effort by the students of all Penn State campuses, THON culminates in a 46 hour no-sitting, no-sleep Dance Marathon in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Greg Tallman
Communications Overall Chairperson
2008 Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon

"The mission of the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is to conquer pediatric cancer by providing outstanding emotional and financial support to the children, families, researchers, and staff of The Four Diamonds Fund."

• THON is fundraising over a year-long effort involving thousands of students and culminating in a challenging, two day, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon.
• THON is changing the lives of students and children, reinforcing the importance of caring for one another, and inspiring the determination needed to beat cancer.
• THON is helping to conquer pediatric cancer through strategic investments in hospital bills, research efforts, and a new family-centered Pediatric Cancer Pavilion at the Penn State Children's Hospital.

Together we will find a cure.

For the second year in a row the Penn State Synchronized Swimming team has joined the cause to help raise money to cure childhood cancer. It may be harder than most clubs that consists of hundreds of students, but we do our best to raise as much money as we can.

During the course of the year we go pledgebooking, send letters requesting donations, attend events to help raise money and spread awareness, and we go canning on the designated weekends. Sadly the team cannot go to two canning trips this year because they fall on dates of our competitions. However, we will do our best to raise as much money as we can For The Kids!!!

Last year we were unable to have anyone on the team dancing during THON, this year for THON 2009 we were able to get two dancers. The girls chosen to dance were Carrie Adair and Miranda Purdy, and they did awesome! Congrats Ladies! :) This year the total was $7,490,133.87 a record high, all of which is For The Kids! As a whole students raised almost $1 million more than in 2008.

To learn more about THON visit: www.thon.org