Evan Halfen
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Final Day of THON 2026 Brings Families’ Stories, Neeli Bendapudi Appearance and Record-Setting Fundraising Totals
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The final day of THON 2026 at the Bryce Jordan Center brought students, families and the Penn State community together to celebrate 46 hours of fundraising, dancing and dedication to the fight against pediatric cancer. The 54th annual event concluded with the reveal of a record-setting fundraising total of $18,841,726.53. Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi…
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‘This Is Our Super Bowl.’ Penn State Senior Dances at THON 2026 for Club Women’s Lacrosse
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Elizabeth Pearson, a Penn State marketing senior and member of the women’s club lacrosse team, took floor as a THON 2026 dancer this weekend, raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer. An Eden Prairie, Minnesota native, Pearson chose Penn State for its Big Ten athletics and East Coast opportunities. “I knew I wanted a Big…
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‘It’s Everything I’ve Dreamed of Since I Was Little.’ State College Native Ian Savitski Dancing for a Cure at THON 2026
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For most dancers and volunteers, THON, a yearlong fundraising and 46-hour dance marathon, begins in college. For Penn State junior Ian Savitski, it started in childhood. Savitski, an integrative science major, grew up steps from campus and the traditions that define the university. “I grew up about a 15-minute walk from Beaver Stadium, so it…
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Matt Campbell Makes First THON Appearance, Juwan and Chanen Johnson Host Pep Rally on 2nd Night of Dance Marathon
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THON’s annual Pep Rally took center stage on Saturday night at the Bryce Jordan Center with Penn State athletics stars past and present. New Penn State football coach Matt Campbell made his first THON appearance, joined by former quarterback and current assistant coach Trace McSorley to help kick off the event. And the Pep Rally…
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‘Love Leads Forward’ Sets the Tone as THON 2026 Gets Underway at Bryce Jordan Center
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THON 2026 began at 6 p.m. Friday at the Bryce Jordan Center as more than 700 Penn State student dancers and thousands of supporters stood to begin the 46-hour dance marathon benefiting pediatric cancer patients and their families. The opening ceremony marked the official start of the no-sitting, no-sleeping challenge that represents the culmination of…
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State College Leaders Proclaim ‘City of THON,’ Offer Support to Kick Off Annual Dance Marathon at Bryce Jordan Center
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Just before the start of THON 2026 on Friday, State College Mayor Ezra Nanes, along with Borough Manager Tom Fountaine and his wife, Tamara, took the stage at the Bryce Jordan Center to offer support for the Penn State student-run philanthropy’s 54th annual dance marathon. Nanes once again declared State College as the “City of…
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Alpha Fire Company Responds to Carbon Monoxide Leak, Burst Pipe at 2 Downtown State College Apartment Buildings
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Alpha Fire Company responded on Tuesday night to a carbon monoxide leak and water damage from a burst pipe in separate incidents at downtown State College apartment buildings. Alpha Fire Company Chief Brian Bittner said crews were called to Penn Towers, 255 E. Beaver Ave., at 6:51 p.m. when a carbon monoxide detector activated in…
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Penn State Student Seriously Injured in State College Hit-and-Run Crash
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A man was arrested after a hit-and-run crash that left a pedestrian with serious injuries early Saturday morning in State College, according to borough police. The crash happened at about 2:30 a.m. at the intersection of East Beaver Avenue and South Garner Street. The driver had left the scene when police arrived, according to a…
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Court Documents Detail Assault Charges Against Penn State Hockey Star Gavin McKenna
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An affidavit of probable cause filed by State College police provides more details on the assault charges filed against Penn State men’s hockey forward Gavin McKenna following an alleged altercation that left another man with injuries requiring surgery. McKenna, an 18-year-old freshman from Yukon, Canada, was charged late Wednesday afternoon with a felony count of…
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Penn State Students, Clubs Aided Effort to Clear Beaver Stadium After Snowstorm Ahead of Historic Hockey Weekend
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Members of Penn State clubs and organizations worked with staff through the week to clear snow from Beaver Stadium after a major snowstorm hit State College on Sunday, preparing the venue for the Nittany Lion hockey teams to play inside the stadium for the first time on Friday and Saturday. Penn State Athletics enlisted students,…