Getting Involved in a THON Organization

THON is integrated throughout the culture at Penn State. If you are looking to get involved, you won’t have to look far!  You will hear a lot about “committees” and “orgs” in reference to how people are involved in THON.  My co-mentor Maria wrote an amazing blog post about how to get involved in the committees that run THON weekend so if you are interested in working on a team for the logistics of THON weekend, check it out!

       But, I want to tell you about the benefits of joining an Org where you can find a various levels of THON engagement depending on your interest!  While committees work all year to organize and execute the logistics of THON weekend, Orgs participate in supporting the mission through fundraising, dancing, and sponsoring THON families throughout the year.

       There are two types of THON organizations:  Special Interest Orgs and affiliated Orgs. While they are slightly different in structure, they share the same goals of fundraising and supporting THON families!  The only difference is for a Special Interest Org, THON is their main focus. Springfield is an example of a large group dedicated to building THON community and raising a TON of money for THON each year!

       An affiliated organization is usually a THON team that is affiliated to a larger club or organization. For instance, in my time at Penn State I have been a part of Club Volleyball THON, EHOUSE THON, and SWE THON.  I love being a part of an affiliated organization because it gives me an opportunity to bond with my already established community in a new way.

However, my absolute, for sure, favorite part about being part of the organization is sponsoring THON families. Depending on your org’s size and contributions, you can sponsor a family or two which means you have a family you are dedicated to supporting!  We get to communicate with the family weekly, organize hang-outs, and celebrate with them at THON if they are able to be there. 

       Not only that, but based on your organization’s status, you are given a number of dancers to elect to represent your organization at during the 46 hours of no sitting and no sleeping during THON weekend and be on the floor with all the families.  And let me tell you, dancing should be its own blog post it is such a coveted experience.  To tangibly see evidence of the impact you are making through your contributions to THON through caring for your families and being in the arena at THON, is one of the most impactful feelings you can experience.

       Not only do I love my THON families, I love my THON community.  I have met some of my best friends through these organizations.  It is special to be around so many people who share our values and are unified by the same mission.  Here is a photo of EHOUSE THON canning during trick-or-treat weekend!

Like I mentioned, fundraising is one of the key focuses for organizations. Canning used to be one of the ways we did that. While the rules are changing about how we fundraise in the future, the passionate community never fails to provide us with a whole bank of new activities to try out in the new year!

As you can see, Penn State loves THON so much it is integrated into the many clubs and organizations you are already a part of on campus. This is a special opportunity to bond with your communities in a new way while championing the THON mission. THON has been a defining part of my Penn State experience and I am so glad I can share that with you.

Allie Ferri
Team J Mentor