Thon%3A+History+and+Origin

Thon: History and Origin

March 11, 2020

Chapter 1: History and Origin

NASH’s walls are filled with hundreds of kids with different interests. But only about three hours away from Penn State, about half of those kids are die-hard Penn Staters, and if not that, they at least have knowledge of the university. Among their successful sports and noteworthy academics, Penn State is known for their acclaimed Dance Marathon. The Dance Marathon or more commonly referred to as THON, originated in 1973 by a small group of philanthropic students. The organization works to raise money to provide support for children with pediatric cancer. Penn State teams up with Four Diamonds Children’s Hospital and every penny is donated there. That first year, THON attracted 78 dancers, lasted 30 hours and raised $2,000. Just last month THON 2020 concluded with over 700 dancers, lasted 46 hours and raised $11.7 million.

Obviously, the organization has grown tremendously. High schools across the country have created their own “mini thons” joining the same mission in fighting childhood cancer, including North Allegheny. In 2015, the senior class brought the goal even closer to home. Ben Cinker, now a junior at Penn State reminisces on THON’s first years at NASH: “When TigerThon started at NA, it was a great event that brought the entire school together. We are able to unite as a school to financially help those families that are impacted by pediatric cancer.” Cinker joined the movement as a family relations committee member junior year and the Event Operations Director his senior year.

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