Tomorrow, the energies of an entire campus will be devoted to one thing: curing pediatric cancer. This is the real Penn State; this is who, "We Are."
The IFC/Panhellenic Penn State Dance Marathon, (more affectionately known as THON), is the largest student run philanthropy in the world. Over 15,000 students are dedicated to raising funds to benefit the Four Diamonds Fund. Established by the Millard family after the loss of their son Christopher, the Fund provides monetary support for the families of children battling pediatric cancer. The fund also supports state-of the art research centered on finding a cure. When a child is diagnosed with pediatric cancer at the Hershey Medical Center (located in central Pennsylvania) they automatically become a Four Diamonds Child. The fund will cover all expenses after insurance, including travel expenses and lodgings for the family. In addition to providing monetary support, there are also trained professionals, such as social workers and specialized therapists, who care for the emotional needs of the families. Last year alone, Penn State students raised $9.56 million bringing THON's cumulative contribution to the Four Diamonds Fund to over $78 million. As we enter THON's 40th year, hopes are high to surpass what we have accomplished in years past.
Coming to Penn State as a freshman, students are instantly bombarded with various activities they should join. However, one stands out among all others: THON. Many people have different ways that they are involved. Some choose to take leadership positions within THON overall, the governing body of THON. Many other organizations, Greek and independent alike, also actively participate. However, in the past few years, there has been a rise of special interest organizations - groups that exist solely to fundraise for THON. I am a part of Atlas, one of these THON centered organizations.
Atlas has enhanced my THON and college experience in ways I could have never imagined. THON organizations have the chance to sponsor Four Diamonds families. Since Atlas is a large group, we are fortunate to have two inspiring families - each with a daughter who has battled cancer - that we have supported through treatment and into their remissions. Atlas has created incredibly strong bonds with both of our families; our members frequently visit one of our families' houses each week to eat dinner and play with the kids. Although many students get caught up in the fantasy world of college life and stress about an exam or quiz, our families easily put our trivial problems back into perspective. The strength of our girls and their families in the face of such austere obstacles at their young ages has been a source of motivation and inspiration for all of our members.
Our families are the reason we fundraise throughout the year. They are the reason why we spend hours planning bake sales, contact companies and stand on the sides of streets with cans collecting spare change. The results can be seen in the life-saving drugs and treatments provided to children like the ones who have become part of our Atlas family.
In February of each year, months of fundraising and support culminate in a 46-hour no sitting or sleeping dance marathon. This is meant to be a celebration of all the hard work performed throughout the year. More importantly, it is meant to be the one weekend of the year these children can have fun and play like normal children, with the advantage of 15,000 college friends. For one weekend, the cancer floor at the Hershey Medical Center and their treatments do not exist and instead the kids are celebrated and made to feel like rock stars. For Four Diamonds children, THON is better than Christmas.
To show our unwavering support, each organization is allotted a specific number of dancers who make the pledge to stand in solidarity with those who have pediatric cancer for all 46 hours. This year, I was selected to dance for Atlas. Representing my organization and our families is an immense honor. My fellow dancers and I will endure aching feet and exhaustion because we know our pain is nothing compared to the battles these kids face on a daily basis. Words cannot express my excitement and I have been anxiously preparing, mentally and physically, to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
If you would like to learn more about THON, please visit our website at THON.org! There you could express your support by making a donation via a secure server. If you like, you can credit my organization, Atlas! Donations will be credited for this year's total until this Saturday at noon. You can also tune in this weekend and watch the live webcast of THON at THON.org!
Together we are making a difference in the life of a child!
For The Kids.
Emily
To the Four Diamonds Foundation and Families - let this year's total be a sign to you, that come what may, the Penn State Family will not let you down. To all the 1,500+ students, alumni, family and friends that made raising $10.68 Million possible in this turbulent year - your dedication and love continues to astonish me. I was in the stands again this year as the last numbers flipped and I, even if I had been on the floor, could not have been any prouder.
We most definately Are and will always be, Penn State.
It's significantly more complicated than that.
I can accept anything you want to think about your school and yourself as long as you deal with these facts responsibly. If you push them aside, you fail.
Oh, really? Then why did Paterno not call the cops? How about McQueary?
And your defense to this is - they followed university policy?? Please. They did NOT follow the law, they both were willing to ignore what Sandusky was doing, as long as they kept their jobs.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387865n
So here is the author's claim:
- "Tomorrow, the energies of an entire campus will be devoted to one thing: curing pediatric cancer. This is the real Penn State; this is who, 'We Are.'"
Great. Substantial. Implicit in that statement is "this is who we are not", so I was surprised that what followed was a simple description of the author's experience with a charity that raises money in support of children with cancer.
Paterno followed "university policy"? If I worked at a company and saw child sexual abuse in a bathroom, let's say, I wouldn't go to my boss but to police. That an adult is not required by PA law to do that is outrageous and in no way absolves Paterno or school administration of their moral responsibilities.
That aside, I think you may have missed my point, which was not that the events I cite define the university, but that it has become part of what Penn State "is". The author wants me to think "The Real Penn State" is students working really, really hard to raise money for cancer research. This was a fluff piece without a word about the "other" real Penn State.
If any person has spoken or written about this situation on behalf of Penn State in any meaningful way, I have not seen it.
About the...did you really call them?...riots... You cannot really understand any action without understanding its context. If you believe that the Penn State students took to the streets because of football, you miss the context entirely.
By way of example, if you look at the coverage of the initial "Occupy" riots on HP, I think we can agree that most of those making inflammatory remarks were Tea Partiers rubbing our progressive noses in the mud. Is it hypocritical that the condemnation was one sided and not universal? I would say it is not, because many on HP's site can empathize with the "Occupiers" rage. While I doubt many of us condone the rioting, we have a sense of the rioters outrage, so we shake our heads and shut our mouths...it's about all we can do.
If you can only see the Penn State "riots" as a response to the sacking of a successful football coach, you'll never get it. Look at the run Joe had in the early '00s. Joe's best years on the field were behind him. We all knew it, and it never mattered. If he were coaching anywhere else, he would have been gone a long time ago. In fact a whole host of "winning at football is everything" folks did want him gone. I'm not diminishing the importance of football at Penn State. For a long time the program was very good.
Two different issues. It's not about "hating", it's about responsibility.
Go down to your local Catholic church and protest or anyone you know that are Catholic.
Stand in front of them and denounce their friendship for being a rapist supporter.
Every cent that you or a friend give to the Catholic coffers helps pay for attorneys to defend Priest who rape young boys. What you don't have the Guts?
Our family was also unaware of THON and The Four Diamonds Fund up until a little over a year ago when our 16 year old grand-daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia. Since she was fortunate enough to live within a short distance of Hershey, PA; she was quickly referred to the Children's Hospital. This is when we learned of this incredible charity which uses The Fund to offset the cost of treatment that insurance does not cover, as well as expenses that may disrupt the welfare of the child. The Fund supports the medical team that cares for the children and funds pediatric cancer research through start-up grants and the Four Diamonds Pediatric Cancer Research Institute.
Our Granddaughter is still battling her Leukemia; however, she was fortunate to be feeling well enough to accept an invitation to participate in this year’s THON at Penn State. She even had the opportunity to participate in a pick-up soccer game with the Men’s Soccer Team. Soccer was her passion prior to her new current passion of surviving.
I would like to encourage all of you to put aside you cynicism regarding this article and the Penn State scandal, long enough to become more informed of what THON and Four Diamonds is all about. A web search of the phrase ‘What is THON’ will provide a wealth of information……… I also encourage you to support this organization in any way that you can.
Thank You
While certainly raising money for pediatric cancer is a good cause, this reeks of Damage Control. It offends me because: a) it feels as if the motivation is more about maintaining high rankings, endowments, application rates (which = $$$), and b) it doesn't answer the bigger issue of what Penn State is doing to address their problems of internal corruption. Firing a couple of people at the top isn't enough. How do you know this wasn't just the tip of the iceberg? I know it isn't the fault of the students who are currently enrolled (some of whom rioted when Paterno was canned) -- but don't forget about the real victims here. Any organization that looks the other way when children are abused deserves to be criticized.
So much was written that was clearly, legally, libelous, that a lot of news organizations are trying to run puff pieces on Penn State now. Ms. Huffington herself was at Penn State trying to make nice a week or so ago.
This doesn't actually reek of "Damage Control". The dance marathon has been going on for almost forty years. You should be ashamed for commenting and not knowing that. Instead it reeks of a feable attempt by HP (et al) to avoid lawsuits. It's probably too late for that.
If you are offended, I suggest you examine what it is you are lacking within yourself. That you're offended by the publicizing of something so good and honorable is revelatory of a deep flaw in you not in those publicizing it.
You will find the answer to all of your other questions if you look for them. The internet can be a wonderful thing. HP excepted.
PS I'm not implying that covering THON is a puff piece. It's actually shameful that it's not the leading story on the college page, and the coverage should not be limited to a students' account/apologia.
Tell us where you got your law degree.
It seems that events at Penn State have already made a difference in some little boy's lives. Just not the good kind.
Students (particularly current ones) had nothing to do with what Sandusky did. Lumping the students in with Sandusky shows only ignorance.
Instead of sitting here bashing an event that has inspired hundreds of other schools to create similar organizations and has helped countless families, why can't people say "Good Job"? Saying "Good Job" to THON, or supporting THON in any way, is not saying you support the actions of Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno, or the small percentage of Penn State students who violently rioted. It is simply acknowledging thousands of college students working extremely hard (for 40 years) to help others- to help children in the fight of their life.