The following is written by quebecpenspinning’s very own THON 2010 correspondent who attended THON at the BJC.

For those of you who don’t know what THON is (I would imagine you are either not a Penn Stater or lived under a rock while you attended PSU); THON is a 46 hour no-sitting, no-sleeping “dance” marathon.  THON, short for Penn State Dance Marathon, is the largest student-run philanthropy in the entire world.  THON raises money for the Four Diamonds Fund, which support families battling pediatric cancer at the Hershey Medical Center.  Money from the Four Diamonds Fund helps pay for research, medication, and cost of living expenses that insurance does not cover.  This greatly alleviates the monetary burden these families would otherwise spend to battle this terrible disease.  Over 15,000 student volunteers plan, organize, fundraise, dance, and cheer to make THON an amazing success every year.  The money and numbers allow THON to break records and accomplish some amazing goals, but it is the students, dancers, families, love, compassion, and emotions that make THON a true experience.

THON is one weekend, but it takes an entire school year to plan, organize and fundraise.  By the time the dancers stand up, the organizers have put in enough time to call THON a full time job.  This passion and dedication of volunteers really makes THON unique.  The following will give you a litle insight into THON 2010

I am a former dancer, Morale Captain and Rules and Regs committee member.  I danced and moraled for 48 hours in Rec Hall (Yes, THON used to be 48 hours) and I did security in the Bryce Jordan Center.  My heart is in Rec Hall since that is where I spent most of my THON experience, but the BJC has allowed THON to grow in ways we would have never imagined.

THON weekend begins with the dancer meeting and the Human Tunnel.  Moralers, students, friends, and families create a human tunnel from the indoor track to the BJC for the dancers to walk through.  As they carry their bags through the frigged February air, they are bombarded by hundreds of screaming supporters.  Despite being grabbed for a few pictures and hugs, they make it to their lockers in the BJC.  They stretch out, introduce the overalls, and at 6:00 pm EST, 700 dancers stand up for the beginning of an amazing journey.  This is merely the beginning.

Within the first hour, the dancers begin learning one of the most recognizable aspects of THON, the line dance.  The line dance is created and lead by the Morale Captains.  This dance is meant to keep the dancers awake, aware, and entertained. It gives them something to focus on and look forward to.  It is performed about 50 times throughout the 46 hours at undisclosed times.  The line dance is know for being comical, especially when it makes fun of celebrities and current events. They are different every year and individually unique.

Throughout the rest of THON there are theme hours where dancers pretend to travel the world, play games and do activities.  Dancers can look forward to bands, dance clubs, speeches, and more line dances for the next 40 hours.  The athletes on campus come out around 10:00pm on Saturday night to put on a pep rally for the dancers. For much of the year, students support our various sport teams with unrivaled passion. The athletes return the favor during the pep rally with choreographed dances and skits in support of the dancers.

The next big event, and one of the most anticipated activities is mail call at 3:00 am Sunday morning.  Dancers are sent mail throughout the THON season and they receive all their letters, toys, and packages during this hour.  Many dancers, laugh, cry, and often are confused at this point from the lack of sleep.  Supporters are sent anything their families and friends believe will make the rest of this journey easier.  My little sister danced, so I sent her socks, toys, lollipops, tennis balls, and balloons.  Once mail call is over, the delirium sets in.  When I danced,  I was so tired that if I turned around too fast, I would forget where I was and be lost.  It was kind of freaky when it happened multiple times in  an hour.  It may seem like a dream, but they eventually make it to the last 4 hours, the defining time in THON.

The last 4 hours are kicked off with the past line dances.  Past Morale Captains like me come back to perform their respective line dances.  It is especially funny since the 2006 line dance (my year) refers to Rec Hall and dancing for 48 hours. You know you are old when dancers ask you “Was THON 48 hours long?” or “Was THON really held in REC HALL?”  After the Line Dances comes Family Hour.

If there is one part of THON you HAVE to attend, it is Family Hour.  It tends to be tough on the dancers since there is minimal activity, but the speeches and families remind us all why we work so hard all year for THON.  All of the families are introduced and stand on stage while a select few share their stories.  If you do not cry during these speeches, you truly lack heart. Parents tell of struggles, but the majority of the time, families (and sometimes the kids themselves) tell their story about beating cancer.  This year Eli told us of how he came to where he is today.  His cancer was so resistant he required radiation.  The radiation burnt his throat so bad, he was unable to eat regularly for a year.  When I met him, he was bald and it even pained him to smile.  This year, HE told HIS story with pride and courage.  He now looks like a healthy young man and is one of the many success stories that remind us that while there are sad points, we continue to dance for more successes like Eli’s.  When dealing with cancer you have to face the harsh reality that there will be death, sickness and hardship, but because of THON, the chances of success is far greater than they were just 10 years ago.  After their inspiring words, the dancers, families and supporters embrace each other to sing “Angels Among Us” by Alabama.  Oh I believe there are angels among us, sent down to us from somewhere up above.  These children who have never done anything to deserve the pain they endure are truly angels on earth and inspire us to keep fighting so they can live, smile, play, and be kids for another day.

After Family Hour, there are 2 hours left to party.  Larry More, the events DJ and true backbone, pumps party music that would lift anyone spirits. Finally, after 46 hours, the dancers sit down, but not for long.  The Dancers sit while the overalls thank everyone, do a raffle drawing, and announce the individual organization totals.  They finally come to the pinnacle of THON, the TOTAL MONEY RAISED.  The overall committee slowly raises the he total, one digit at a time until we see that THON 2010 has raised a total of $7,838,054.36.  Once the total is revealed the entire building, including the dancers stand and scream out in joy.  Since beginning its partnership with the Four Diamonds Fund, THON has raise over 68 million dollars to help defeat childhood cancer.

I consider myself an extremely hardcore Penn State fan, if you don’t believe me, I will proudly show you my Penn State tattoo.  I love football, I love Joe, but I love nothing more than the smiles seen on the faces of the Four Diamonds Families when they see 15,000 students, mostly strangers, so passionately supporting a cause, their cause.  I would give almost anything to see Joe win another national championship, but I would gladly give up every victory to see cancer cured. We are all proud to be part of the one-of-a-kind Penn State Family, but THON is the reason I consider Penn Staters so unique from other institutions. When thousands of students are sacrificing hours of free time to save a child who was once a stranger, but is now your brother or sister, when you raise millions of dollars to ensure these strangers never have to pay a dime in out of insurance costs and to make them as comfortable as possible admits the hell they are experiencing, come talk to me.  Until then, it is hard to convince me of another prouder fan base.  Sports victories mean little in the end.  The life of a child means everything.  WE ARE …… THON!

Enjoy the sights and sounds of THON 2010!