We are only one week away from one of the biggest weekends of the year at Penn State: THON 2025.
No matter how you’re involved, everyone can feel the air shift on campus when THON Weekend kicks off.
This year, dancers, captains, committee members, executive board members and enthusiastic students will stand in the Bryce-Jordan Center from Friday, Feb. 21 to Sunday, Feb. 23 in the hopes of beating last year’s record-breaking fundraising total of $16.9 million.
Penn State THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Students work year-round to fundraise for Four Diamonds families impacted by pediatric cancer and the connections made provide a loving community and network for the families and students involved.
The impact of THON truly cannot be overstated. More than 16,500 passionate students pour their time, energy and love into this mission, and the fundraised money goes to Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital for research, treatments and services.
This year, I will represent my organization The Singing Lions, and our three incredible paired families as a Dancer. Through my years of involvement, I’ve learned so much about the ins and outs of THON events and THON Weekend.
Recently, I reminisced on my THON journey leading up to dancing. Our Singing Lions chairs prepped me well during my freshman and sophomore years. I was president by junior year and helped prep newer members.
Even with the best prep, watching all the slideshows, taking the Pass Quizzes and asking older members for advice, there was no way to prepare for those first moments walking into the Bryce-Jordan Center and seeing the magic of THON for the first time.
It was beautiful. But I was also lost, confused and didn’t know how anything worked.
I under-packed, almost walked away with my pass after coming up from the floor, couldn’t remember which portal my group was in and didn’t know what to wear (I wore jeans and incredibly unsupportive sneakers — don’t do that).
You can’t fully prep for your first THON, and I’d never want to take away that magical feeling of walking in and discovering it all for the first time. However, I do hope this article can provide answers to some of your questions and take away some of your potential anxiety about THON Weekend.
come in with an open heart and mind
The most important advice I could give for anyone’s first THON weekend is to open your heart and mind. Let yourself feel the magic and love permeating every moment of the event.
It may feel overwhelming when you first walk in—there are bright colors, 24/7 performances (thanks to THON’s Entertainment Committee) and almost 15,000 people.
I promise you’ll adjust. Take a breath and soak it all in.
Arushi Krishnan, the communications director for 2025, gave some beautiful advice for the weekend.
“For anyone coming to THON Weekend for the first time, I know it can be a mix of so many emotions,” she said. “Take in every inch of the BJC, every person supporting from the stands, every dancer on the floor, and the smiles of Four Diamonds families and over 16,500 student volunteers coming together for this amazing cause.”
She said the most magical moments for her are connecting with the children and families and seeing everyone light up when they enter the room.
Carley Mykut, the family relations captain and Orchesis Dance Company’s primary THON chair, expressed a similar sentiment.
“There’s nothing like your first THON experience in the BJC,” she said. “Getting to see new members and freshmen walk in with no idea what they’re walking into and leave with so much passion and love for THON — it’s magic.”
THON really is a magical environment. Let yourself embrace all parts of it.
there will be ups and downs
“My biggest advice for THON Weekend is to take it all in,” Cameron Powell, primary THON chair for The Singing Lions, said. “When the pain starts, when you start doubting yourself, think about ‘the why.’ Take in the moment and remember why you are doing this.”
THON Weekend is undeniably hard on both Dancers and supporters, and there will be highs and lows. The most important thing is to keep working through it. Remember, the lows won’t last forever.
Your feet will hurt, but you can only manage what you’re experiencing. Exhaustion is hard, but you have to trust yourself and the people around you. You are so much stronger than you think.
If you go down to the floor, be a good supporter by avoiding talking about the time (many Dancers choose not to know the time — please be respectful of this), tiredness, sleep, pain or anything that may make it worse. Just be a friend.
“If anyone is a first-time THON-goer and is also going down to the floor, I would highly recommend just being cognizant of the energy you’re bringing down to the floor and to the people that are dancing,” 2023 Dancer Alyssa Ortiz said. “You never know when you go down there if your Dancers are going to be at their highest or at their lowest, so always go down there with a positive energy.”
Ask your Dancers if they want to participate in floor activities, play a game or take a few laps. Stretch with them. Remember, this isn’t about you, it’s about the kids and the memories you’re making with others.
Tell stories, talk and respect your friend’s space if they say they need some alone time with headphones on. Everyone copes with their lows differently. Just support them the best you can.
Give yourself the same grace if you find yourself in a low in the stands, and practice some of the same distraction techniques.
“You are going to get overstimulated at some point,” 2021 and 2023 Dancer Anton Aluquin said. “Knowing what you need to do in order to keep yourself calm is so important.”
find your why
Going into THON Weekend, it is so important to find your “why.” Why do you and the people around you want to support THON, and what does that mean to you?
That “why” will get you through the hardest moments of THON.
2022 Dancer Rebecca Lefkowitz gave her best advice going into the weekend.
“Be present. Listen to your body. Connect with your community,” she said. “A lot of THON, and dancing in THON specifically, has parallels to going through childhood cancer. Obviously, nothing compares to that, but the point of THON is to mimic and stand with childhood cancer survivors, Angels and everyone in the community.”
My “why” while I’m dancing will be my organization’s THON families and our three girls who battled childhood cancer. Yours might be a loved one, your organization’s families or a story you find particularly impactful from one of the families speaking THON Weekend.
Find that inner spark and let it fuel you through all the hardest parts of the weekend.
prepare yourself physically and mentally
For those new to THON, it is a 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon. This does not just apply to the Dancers. If you are in the BJC THON Weekend, in the stands or on the floor, you will be expected to remain standing and awake.
This is undeniably physically taxing for anyone. That’s okay. You don’t have to be a superhuman who doesn’t feel foot pain.
There’s something controversial my organization shares each year in our “How to THON” presentation. We always tell members that being in the stands is harder than being on the floor.
This is not in any way to minimize the difficulty of dancing, but we want everyone to understand that they need to prep and take care of themselves just as much if they plan on being in the stands for a long period.
The floor isn’t padded in the stands like on the floor, you won’t be served nutritious meals and you have much more limited space to move around. You won’t have the same constant support and check-ins as the Dancers.
However, you are not expected to be there all 46 hours in the stands. You can and should take breaks, go nap and get a nutritious meal outside the BJC so you can come back and be the most positive, supportive version of yourself.
Mykut is currently working hard to plan the Kids’ Talent Show and Fashion Show in addition to preparing Orchesis Dance Company’s Dancers and new members for THON Weekend. As a first-year captain, she also knows how important it is to make sure she is at her best physically and mentally.
“Making sure to prepare your body before such an exhausting weekend is so important — drink lots of water, take rests from the stands, don’t eat BJC foods all weekend and try to take care of yourself mentally,” she said. “Give yourself space to breathe if you need to and know that it’s going to be okay. You need to take care of yourself so you can be the happiest, best version of yourself.”
2024 Dancer Lindsay Aluquin graduated from Penn State University Park last year with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences. She had some incredible advice combining what she learned throughout her education and dancing.
“Eat a carb and protein-based snack every 2-3 hours,” she said. “Also be sure to hydrate regularly with electrolytes. Fueling properly throughout the weekend will help you maximize your energy and attention to dance For the Kids!”
It is so important to make sure you are taking care of yourself both physically and mentally throughout the weekend. This means food, water and stretching.
Lefkowitz also encouraged taking breaks.
“Be present,” she said. “When you’re in the BJC, take it all in. If it becomes too much, you can always do laps around the concourse. Take a deep breath. You can go outside. You can come back… My best advice is to be present because when you are present then you can really enjoy everything that THON brings and the community THON brings.”
be respectful and kind
Being respectful and kind is key to THON Weekend. Everyone is there for an incredible cause, but there are also rules.
If someone from the Rules and Regulations committee approaches you and asks you not to do something, be polite and listen to them. They are just doing their job to keep everyone in the BJC safe.
If someone takes your spot or accidentally steps on your things, be the bigger person. Everyone is running low on sleep and nobody is doing anything out of malicious intent.
At the end of the day, arguing over spots in the stands or yelling at a THON committee member just trying to do their job takes away from the purpose.
Focus on the love. Let the rest go.
get what you need before the weekend
There are some absolute must-haves you need to get before THON Weekend, including a clear bag, supportive sneakers, hair ties, a portable phone charger, deodorant, headphones and extra layers of clothes.
Nonclear bags are restricted. Supportive, comfortable sneakers are also ESSENTIAL to standing for this amount of time. I went to Rapid Transit downtown for my Dancer sneakers where they had me walk around and try on different shoes to fit the arch of my foot.
Hair ties are so important if you have long hair and they go with the deodorant and extra changes of clothes. Sometimes the BJC is really cold and you need sweatshirts and sweatpants. Sometimes you’re moving and dancing at the same time as 15,000 other people and you’ll get really sweaty and nasty.
Sometimes sleep deprivation kicks in and makes you really cold all over again. Be prepared for all the options and be respectful to the people spending so many hours in the stands with you by not smelling horrible.
You NEED a reusable water bottle for THON Weekend but remember to empty it every time you enter the BJC. You will be able to fill it up inside the building, but you can’t bring in a water bottle with any liquid in it.
You can bring electrolyte powders like LiquidIV to mix in once you’re inside though.
Headphones are essential if you get overstimulated and need a minute to yourself. A portable phone charger is one of the most important things because you aren’t allowed to use any of the BJC outlets. Ordering a portable charger is worth it.
Some dancers recommend getting compression socks to wear later on in the weekend when your sore feet need a boost.
I would also personally recommend bringing a yoga mat, tennis balls and a massage gun if you have one. The yoga mat cushions the concrete floor a little bit and the tennis balls are great for rolling out your feet near the end of the weekend. The massage gun can feel great on sore leg and lower back muscles.
If you’re someone who wears both contacts and glasses, bring them and switch between the two. Bring a toothbrush, too. That way you can go to the bathroom and refresh a bit when you’re feeling gross.
Bring some little games and activities to keep occupied in the stands. Boredom will make the hours tick by so much slower. Stay busy.
Get excited
There is nothing else quite like THON.
“It is so beautiful to have a place to foster that light and love for the world,” Mykut said. “Getting to see the smiles on everyone’s face THON weekend is something you can’t even describe to people.”
Remember how cool of an event THON Weekend is and how many people work so hard to make it happen. Soak up the stage performances, activities and vibes of the weekend because the BJC will truly be transformed.
“Just take it all in,” Lefkowitz said. “It is genuinely some of the greatest hours, days and weekends of your life. Being in the BJC and being a part of something bigger than yourself to benefit those who need help is just the greatest feeling. It gives you such a sense of purpose and a sense of connection with others who also have the same goal, which is defeating childhood cancer, raising money for childhood cancer, and supporting families with childhood cancer.”
Today we dance for a cure so that one day we can dance in celebration. FTK, always.