For The Kids!

 For The Kids: THON

By: Team J

What is THON?

THON is one of the most anticipated events of the year at Penn State, being the world’s largest student-run philanthropy. Though the main event is a 46-hour no sleep no sit dance marathon, THON is so much more. Throughout the year, THON raises money for Four Diamonds, who provides support for families battling childhood cancer. The dance marathon itself is where the Four Diamonds families and the students come together for a celebration. There are so many different ways to get involved with THON, from committees to orgs and everything in between.  It is so easy to get involved at all different levels and time commitments, which we are going to dive into.

 

Orgs vs. Committees

There are two big ways students can get involved in THON: student organizations (orgs) and committees. Student Orgs are clubs or subsets of clubs that focus on fundraising for THON. These orgs can also elect dancers to represent themselves during THON weekend. They also have an opportunity to adopt a THON family. Orgs that opt to adopt a family or families build a special relationship with that family and provide any additional support that they may need. Student Orgs are a great way to get involved- and there are over 400 to choose from! Just like any other club, you can learn more about a specific org at the Involvement Fair in the beginning of the semester. 

THON Committees are the teams of students that keep THON running smoothly and successfully. Committees work all year long to plan and coordinate all THON events. There are 12 different committees that you could join: Communications (Comm), Dancer Relations (DR), Donor and Alumni Relations (DAR), Entertainment (ENT), Finance, Hospitality (HOS), Merchandise (Merch), OPPerations (OPP), Public Relations, Rules and Regulations (R&R), Special Events (SE), and Technology (Tech). Each committee takes care of one aspect of THON. To join a committee, you must apply in the fall on think.thon.org. Applications open September 8 and close September 18.

Either way is a great opportunity to help this amazing cause and meet a lot of great people- you can even do both!

 

Orgs (our experience)

To be part of a THON Org is such a special experience. You will spend all year fundraising, learning about THON, getting to know your Org members, and even building a close relationship with a THON family.

 

I am a part of the Society of Women Engineers THON (yes a THON Org for Women in Engineering that you all can join!). SWE THON really grew my appreciation and admiration for THON. Throughout the school year, we focused on fundraising- we sold scrunchies and grilled stickies, sent THON-velopes to our friends and family had costume contests, and so much more to try to raise as much money as possible. We also had two THON families. THON families get the option to pair with an Org, and then that Org can help support that family. You get to build a really special relationship with these families. We celebrate birthdays and holidays. We meet to do fun things like pumpkin carving. SWE THON usually gets 4 dancers to represent us. They get to dance in THON- no sitting, no sleeping for 46 hours, and everyone else is there to cheer and dance them on!

    - Alieen, Mentor Team J

I am part of Phi Sigma Rho and we have the honor of having Mina and the Horan family as our Four Diamonds family. Throughout the year we celebrate birthdays, holidays, and everything in between with the family. You truly get to create a close relationship with the family and it reminds you of what THON is all about.

    -Kayla, Mentor Team J

 

Committees (our experience)

Committees are great ways to learn about THON and make some friends too! Committees are what really keep THON running.

I was a part of the first-ever Freshman Committee of THON. This committee helped me in understanding the mission of THON, and the various ways through which I can contribute to help the philanthropy. In addition to that, I also got to meet great mentors who guided me about being a THON committee member. The Freshman Committee also assisted me in understanding the best way through which I can contribute towards THON, and meet great friends. The applications open up in December, and I highly encourage you to apply!

The Freshman Committee helped me in getting a Tech Captain position for THON 2022, as I realized that I can contribute towards THON by following my passion, which is technology. Being a Tech Captain, I’m working on the website Dash (event management system for THON). The best thing about being a Tech Captain is, I wasn’t expected to have plenty of experience. The selection committee just made sure that I had some coding experience, and then trained me for the role after I was selected. Even though I don't have an internship this summer, I think I’ve got a great head start as I’m learning tons of new stuff about backend coding. The THON community is extremely supportive and helpful, and the perfect place to learn both technical and soft skills. I’m looking forward to an amazing rest of the year and THON 2022 ahead!

    -Suvarna, Envoy Team J

I was also on an OPPerations (OPP) Committee the last two years - aka the best committee. The OPPerations Committee is responsible for the setup, cleanup, and teardown of THON. In OPP, you get assigned to a committee led by an OPP captain. Your committee meets every week to learn about THON, learn about your tasks during THON weekend, and just bond, so it is a great way to meet some amazing people. One of the biggest parts of OPP is mats. Mats to cover the BJC during THON. We clean the mats, set them up, and roll them up after THON. We also clean up the floors and bathrooms to ensure that THON is a clean and safe environment. I know this may not seem like the most glamorous committee, but trust me (or ask anyone who has ever been on OPP), it is the best committee. You have no idea how much fun replacing the toilet paper in the bathrooms during THON weekend is until you do it with your committee!

    -Aileen, Mentor Team J