A Record-breaking Dance

The+PSH+THON+Committee+

PSH THON

The PSH THON Committee

Penn State Harrisburg students joined students from other Penn State campuses at University Park to participate in THON.

THON is a dance marathon that lasts for 46 hours. During the whole time the dancers cannot sleep or sit all in efforts to raise money and awareness for cancer treatment and research.

Heather Witherow, a committee member for THON at Penn State Harrisburg, was excited to dance. “THON means so many things to me. I’ve lost many loved ones to cancer
throughout my life, with the most recent loss being my Aunt Pat, who was very dear to me. Instead of watching from an outside view, I was watching and experiencing what our Four Diamonds families experience…THION to me means making sure everyone gets to enjoy the beautiful moments in life. It means having more time with loved ones, enjoying moments filled with smiles and laughter. It means children getting to grow up and experience what we so often take for granted: birthdays, getting your license, graduating, and more. It means having hope when the world seems so dark,” Witherow said.

Matthew Rice, another dancer from Penn State Harrisburg, said it was one of his biggest honors he has ever had. “It was a life changing event. Dancing for THON is the biggest honor because you get to represent all the children who are in the toughest battle. Dancing was exhausting both physically and mentally, but every moment was worth it but every moment of it was to help find a cure. If I had the chance to dance again I would take it in a heartbeat, but just being part of THON makes a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of people,” said Rice.

Rice says he could not put THON in just one word because of how much it can mean to someone. “THON means so much to me. It can be hard to put into words the impact THON and the Four Diamonds foundation have on families, and to know that my efforts are going towards saving lives is an indescribable feeling. I started my college with minimal background knowledge on THON but after my first THON in 2019 at the Bryce Jordan Center, I fell in love. Ever since then, I have been deeply involved with Penn State Harrisburg benefitting THON and it has changed me in so many ways.” Matthew said. THON is an event close to the heart of the Penn State community.

THON Dance Marathon

This year the event raised a record-breaking total of $13, 756, 374.50, breaking the previous record of 13.3 million. And it’s for the kids!