What would you do if your child had cancer? It’s difficult to imagine the struggles and grief of a family who has just received that life changing diagnosis, but it is a reality for the families of 1 in 330 Americans who will develop cancer by the age of 20. Chemo, treatment, stress, and fear become a part of their lives all because of that one, awful word: cancer. That’s where THON (www.thon.org) steps in. THON is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated and exciting events at Penn State. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Penn State Dance Marathon is a fundraising effort that culminates in a 46 hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon. All of the money raised goes to the Four Diamonds Fund (http://www.thon.org/whatisthon/4d) to ease the financial burden of these families, as well as provide the counselors, therapists, and other services that are a lifeline for these families. This year, THON raised a record breaking $9.5 million and it just so happens to be the largest run student-run philanthropy in the world.
And that’s the boring definition.
Now, by no means can $9.5 million actually constitute boring, but THON’s power is more than just that number. As anyone who has been involved with THON will tell you, it’s difficult to find words to describe the magic of THON to someone who has never experienced it. Many of these kids and families who are there spend all year anticipating THON weekend, when they can have fun, play with all the college kids who are dressed in costumes and crazy colors, and for 46 hours, focus on having fun rather battling a life threatening disease. One father told us that his daughter would look forward to THON even more than Christmas morning. Now that’s saying something. This is my second year participating in THON and it continues to amaze me each time. Words just can’t do it justice, but this is what THON has taught and continues to teach me:
Dedication
[ded-i-key-shuh SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT n]
Wholehearted commitment to something.
Just watch the training montage of any Rocky movie, and you’ll have dedication in a nutshell. Now swap lifting weights with canning on a street corner, and jumping rope with writing Thonvelopes, and you’ll get the training program that we Thon-ers take on each year. Cancer is the Apollo Creed to our Rocky, and for 5 months, Penn State trains hard to knock out our deadly opponent. Students willingly stand on cold streets early in the morning to collect change from cars and this experience of canning alone has taught me how much every little bit counts. After a day of canning, adding up the large amount of petty change never ceases to surprise me. And this dedication does not go to waste. While canning this year, I had a man pull up and throw a few dollars in my can. He thanked me for standing out there and said that his granddaughter had just beaten cancer. These moments make everything worth it, and really puts life into perspective. Every sports team/sports movie (Remember the Titans anyone?) touts the importance of dedication, and as cliché as it can sound, they are completely right. We wouldn’t have raised $9.5 million if everyone halfheartedly participated. I have seen members of organizations who dedicate so much time and effort to this cause. It is inspirational and it is this commitment that keeps THON alive. Cancer is a worthy adversary and Penn State is in it for the long haul. If you’ll recall, in Rocky II (spoiler alert!) Rocky finally beats Apollo Creed.
Community
[kuh-myoo-ni-tee]
A unified body of individuals
Since preschool we’ve been taught to share and work together. Our parents and teachers told us that we can accomplish much more through teamwork than if we go about something alone. Can one person change the world? Maybe. Can thousands of students, alumni, families, friends, and other good people change the world? Absolutely. Special interest groups, fraternities, sororities, branch campuses and other organizations work together within their group to raise money throughout the year. It’s the combination of each one of those organization’s efforts that result in the overall total that we proudly give to the Four Diamonds Fund. If each organization didn’t support each other’s fundraisers, or encourage each other to keep it up, we would not have increased our overall total by $1.7 million this year. The power of community is easy to see firsthand during the weekend as friends help their dancers stay awake, and endure countless watergun fights in order to put a smile on a kid’s face. When we come together, there truly are no limits. In the words of Joe Paterno: “When they say We Are Penn State…this is what they’re talking about”.
Love
[luhv]
A strong, positive emotion of affection
This is the most important thing I’ve learned through THON. Collegiate culture is plagued with stereotypes of partying, drinking, and hooking up. Charity isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind when you envision a college community. THON defies those stereotypes by teaching selflessness and genuine care for others. You hear about the struggles of these kids and how some are barely able to stand or eat during their treatment. Parents watching their children suffer and not be able to make the pain go away. Suddenly that exam you are stressing about doesn’t seem like such a big deal. Having a terrible hair day, or nothing to wear isn’t the crisis that you thought it was. These stories put things into perspective, and at the end of the day, it’s all about love (cue the Beatles “All You Need is Love”). From the families who are lovingly adopted by Penn State organizations, to the friendships formed between students, love comes in many forms. This love is infectious as soon as you walk in the doors of the Bryce Jordan Center on THON weekend. Families are given the special treatment, and smiling children (and students!) are everywhere. Although THON is over until next year, the love doesn’t have to go away. I want to keep that love of life all the time, even during those bad days, and you should too!
I’m thankful that I’ve had the privilege to experience something that brings so many people together. THON continues to have a great influence on families and students, and I hope that each of you will get involved with THON if you haven’t already, and continue to support it in the future. For the glory, for the kids, for the cure!
What has THON taught you? Do you have a favorite THON memory? Please share!