Some dancers struggle more than others. By Saturday morning, she was stretching it out and still smiling. Shortly before 2 a. Sunday, student volunteers poured onto the dance floor carrying boxes of letters that had been written to the more than dancers by their friends and family. This is typically the time when morale starts to waver, and dancers need those words of encouragement to get through. Julia Duemler, 21, had just returned from the athletic training room where she got her ankles taped.
She said she had a bit of a breakdown earlier but felt better. My eyes are tired. Duemler is dancing in memory of her father, Dave Duemler, who died of colon cancer 10 years ago. Duemler received a pile of letters, cards and packages, encouraging her to make it to the end. Many of them mentioned her father. As she read them, Duemler juggled her weight from foot to foot, trying to relieve the pain. Words of wisdom from her mother Lisa Dent Duemler came just at the right time.
But you will overcome. She wanted to absorb every word when she is able. The fatigue was too great. She had been awake and on her feet for more than 32 hours. Work Hard. Make it Happen. Kaylahni was just four months old when she was diagnosed. She underwent experimental treatment and chemotherapy. She also had brain surgery and a stem cell transplant. In fact, each dancer pair occupied a four-foot diameter circle within which to move around and keep rhythm.
For every dollar earned, the dancer couple received one point. Donations could be made in any of the four cans that each couple had, and these cans could be signed out for solicitation throughout State College during the marathon. However, for all the points earned by fundraising, points were also docked for failing to comply with dancing regulations, and there were even penalties for taking bathroom breaks. The winners of the dance marathon were determined based on net point earnings at the end of the 48 hours.
This Dance Marathon also witnessed the first pairing of a fraternity and a sorority — Kappa Delta Rho and Delta Delta Delta began a tradition of Panhellenic collaboration that exists even today. Alternating annually between various charities and embellished by the atmosphere of competition, the initial efforts of Dance Marathon were quite different from what exists today.
Founded in , the fund honors Christopher Millard, a year-old who lost his battle with cancer after three years of strength and determination. His parents, Charles and Irma, wanted to provide support to others battling pediatric cancer. Dance Marathon was the first one to contribute to the cause of the Four Diamonds Fund, and it also ceased the alternation of beneficiaries from year to year.
The university became attached solely to the Four Diamonds Fund, and to this day, all of the money raised each year goes directly to help the Four Diamonds children and families.
However, the students were involved in a car accident, and one student, Kevin Steinberg, lost his life. As the Interfraternity Council Vice President, Steinberg was a dedicated participant in Dance Marathon, and though this event was deeply unfortunate, it also worked to further solidify the growing bond between Penn State and Four Diamonds.
As Dance Marathon began to pick up traction among the university and throughout the public sphere, the committees quickly realized that its current home did not have substantial capacity for its growing number of volunteers. The bigger area allowed for more dancers and spectators, and for 20 years, White would be occupied by multicolored committee members, sleepy and ecstatic dancers, and energetic Four Diamonds kids.
During that chunk of time, while THON was still in the early stages of finding its footing, the levels of involvement and events spanned a breadth of candidness and charm.
In terms of sponsorship, Coors Brewing Company was actually quite involved with the philanthropy. During the marathon in , the sorority Gamma Phi Beta set up an impromptu kissing booth in the corner of the dance floor, a last-ditch effort to raise more money for its dancers.
These sorts of sporadic quirks have since passed by the wayside with the progression and maturing of THON, but dancers and supporters have never failed to find creative avenues for awareness, fundraising, and involvement. John W. Oswald, the 16th president of Penn State, visited Dance Marathon for the first time in As the face of Penn State, his presence expressed a university-wide support.
Also, by this point, there were no longer points docked for any and all breaks taken by dancers. When does Thon start?
The Thon starts at 6 p. There will be breaks overnight from midnight until 6 a. How are people participating? Dancers will still be dancing from their homes and broadcasting their participation via a livestream, which will run starting at 6 p. However, since they will not have access to the usual in-person support dancing for 46 hours straight can be dangerous , the event organizers have also supplied those participants with other activities to complete over the weekend.
Those participating from their homes have been provided with food, activities and other equipment and guidelines, just as if they had been in attendance in person.
There will also be a small number of event participants at the Bryce Jordan Center, but only those necessary to produce the livestream event - no spectators will be permitted.
According to the Thon website , anyone who volunteers for in-person attendance must have isolated for 10 days in advance and received a negative COVID test. Throughout this weekend, the entire Penn State community will come together to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer.
First organized in , THON has grown into the largest student-run philanthropy event in the world, with over 15, student volunteers dedicating their time and energy to give back to the community. Centered around a group of individuals competing to win a dance marathon, the film popularized the idea and prompted students at several universities to recreate them into charity events. His original thought was that couples would dance against each other, and the pair that stayed on their feet the longest and raised the most money would win.
After its surprising success, the dance marathon became an annual event! The fund honors Christopher Milliard, a year-old who lost his battle with cancer in His parents created the fund in to support other families who were battling pediatric cancer.
As time went on and crowds increased, the location of the dance marathon moved from the HUB Ballroom to the White Building. The bigger space held more dancers, participants and spectators, allowing the dance marathon to grow in prominence and participation by other students.
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