Penn State’s THON capped a momentous 50th anniversary year with a milestone fundraising total in its efforts to support pediatric cancer patients and research.
The culmination of a year of fundraising efforts, the world’s largest student-run philanthropy concluded its annual 46-hour dance marathon at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center with the reveal that THON 2022 raised a record $13,756,374.50 for the Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.
THON has now raised more than $203 million total, ensuring that no pediatric cancer patient family at Penn State Children’s Hospital receives a bill. It has assisted nearly 5,000 families while helping to build comprehensive care services for patients and families and the hospital’s childhood cancer research enterprise.
“THON never sets a fundraising goal,” Penn State senior and THON 2022 Executive Director Kate Colgan said. “A huge part of our mission is fundraising but there’s so much more to it, the emotional support that we provide to our families and the memories that we allow them to create and are there for as well. In our minds, any amount of money that we raise is that much amount of money closer to a cure for childhood cancer.”
This year’s fundraising total is a more than $3 million increase over last year’s of $10,638,078.62. The previous record mark was set in 2014 with $13,343,517.33.
“Every dollar in my mind is an expression of hope, an expression of care, an expression of love,” Four Diamonds Executive Director Suzanne Graney said. “They mean so much more to us than a dollar because it’s what they represent in terms of hope for a cure.”
The weekend also marked THON’s return to an in-person event at the Bryce Jordan Center after THON 2021 was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 660 official dancers were joined by thousands of student volunteers, supporters and families throughout the no-sitting, no-sleeping marathon. It welcomed back the myriad traditional activities that bring together students and Four Diamonds families and dozens of musical acts and entertainers — including surprise performances by national recording artists Chelsea Cutler and Bea Miller.
COVID-19 protocols were put in place, including required masking for all entering the venue and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. While many Four Diamonds families attended in person, many could not. General guidance stated those on active treatment could not be there in person.
Using the experiences of last year’s virtual event, THON expanded its online offerings to ensure families who could not be there had a positive experience.
“Last year we learned a lot about how to improve our livestream and our virtual platforms,” Nolan Marett, THON public relations director and a Penn State senior. “There are a lot of families who can’t come to THON, COVID or not, so we realized we needed to enhance our livestream and create a better platform for them to be engaged throughout THON weekend and throughout all of our events.
“This year what we were able to do was livestream all of our pre-THON events, which is something we’ve never done before. We live streamed everything from the 5k to the 100 days til thon celebration and everything in between, which was amazing. We were able to engage so many of our families. We are expanding that into THON weekend. This livestream this weekend is on par with and better than what we had last year, very engaging and we are excited for everyone that is able to tune into that.”
Celebrating its 50th year provided an opportunity to reflect on the past and look forward, an idea captured in this year’s theme of “Spark Endless Light,” represented by a logo, designed by graphic design student Caitlyn McHenry, featuring two children watching fireworks above.
“Our theme was selected as an understanding of the place that we see us ourselves at now as an organization coming out of a really challenging year but looking forward to the future,” Colgan said. “That was the meaning behind ‘spark endless light,’ the idea that THON is endless … and it’s a spark that’s creating light in some of the darkest times in these families lives.”
It also marked the first THON without Charles Millard, who co-founded the Four Diamonds with his wife, Irma, after losing their son Christopher to cancer when he was 14. Charles Millard died in November at the age of 93.
“It’s a little bittersweet for me this year, but I’m always excited to be here surrounded by such love and dedication,” Stacia Millard Bird, Charles and Irma’s daughter, said. “I know it’s going to keep him amongst us forever.”
