STATE COLLEGE — Penn State THON’s annual 46-hour dance marathon came to an end on Sunday, Feb. 18, after raising a total of $16,955,683 — breaking its record for the third straight year.
THON is the world’s largest student-run philanthropy organization and raises money to fight against pediatric cancer. Since 1977, THON has been partners with Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.
THON Weekend 2024, themed “Treasure Every Adventure,” was held in the Bryce Jordan Center and lasted from 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18. Here are the highlights of the weekend’s events.
DANCERS STAND
On the first day of THON, 708 dancers stood up on the floor of the BJC, preparing to stay on their feet for the next 46 hours.
For every hour of THON, Dancer Relations captains performed the Line Dance, a catchy song that retells the top stories from the previous year.
This year’s included Taylor Swift and Beyonce mentions, the field hockey complex dedication to Char Morett-Curtiss, Stanley cups, the Waffle Shop burning down and other pop culture and Penn State events that happened over the last 365 days.
Within the 708, six dancers were student-athletes, according to Penn State Athletics. The athletes included Quinn Menger (women’s volleyball), Brie Barraco (field hockey), Van Danielson (men’s soccer), Caroline Myers (field hockey), Molly Martin (women’s soccer) and Lauren Delgado (field hockey).
To keep energy high, the Friday night headliner was pop-rock band Walk the Moon, known for its songs “Shut Up and Dance” and “One Foot.”
PEP RALLY
Each year, THON’s Saturday night slot is taken over by Penn State Athletics.
The THON 2024 Pep Rally was emceed by Morett-Curtiss and Christian Hackenburg. The event featured several teams performing a self-choreographed dance.
Prior to the entertainment, football coach James Franklin, athletic director Pat Kraft and more key Penn State figures took to the stage.
“This is what makes Penn State so special,” Franklin told the crowd.
Though the Penn State president normally makes an appearance during Pep Rally, President Neeli Bendapudi announced on Friday, Feb. 16, that she would not be able to make it to THON Weekend 2024 in person due to the arrival of her grandchild.
Instead, a prerecorded video of Bendapudi played, as she thanked the dancers and students for what they were doing.
For Penn State men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades, it wasn’t his first time in the BJC, but it was his first time on the stage at THON.
“I’ve been here for nine months, and I’ve never been more proud to be in this building than tonight,” Rhoades said.
The finalists of the Pep Rally were the men’s gymnastics and women’s soccer teams. Morett-Curtiss and Hackenberg invited several Four Diamonds children to the stage to vote for the winner, and a majority declared men’s gymnastics as the winner of THON Weekend 2024’s Pep Rally.
FINAL FOUR
The last four hours of THON, known as “Final Four,” begin by bringing the last five years of Dancer Relations captains to the stage to perform their year’s Line Dance.
The Dancer Relations captains from 2019 performed the 2019 Line Dance for the last time on the BJC’s stage.
After the performance of the last five years of Line Dances, Family Hour began.
This year, Stacia Millard-Bird, the daughter of the founder of Four Diamonds, Christopher Millard, paid tribute to her father and thanked all the dancers and Four Diamonds families who came to the event.
“Treasure the adventure, the ups and the downs, the highs and lows and know that everything you do makes a difference,” Bird said. “Remember the length of a life lived does not limit the everlasting impact of that life.”
The Family Procession, which invited families to walk across the stage, consisted of over 85 Four Diamonds families.
After the procession, Penn State student Sydney Bush walked onto the stage with her family to share her story as a Four Diamonds child.
Bush shared how she beat cancer, but not without the help of the money raised by THON volunteers and dancers. Now, she’s one of THON’s Family Relations captains and is 17 years cancer-free.
“Every child deserves to have a happy and carefree childhood,” Bush said.
Following the family speeches, a Celebration of Life highlighted all THON children who have passed. A final collage on the screen read “Forever with us” while a student sang “Angels Among Us” and the Singing Lions performed “Dancing in the Sky.”
The last hour was spent with Go Go Gadjet, a cover band that played a variety of 2000s hits to hype the BJC to finish strong.
The final total was nearly $17 million — $1,949,551 more than THON 2023 raised.
According to its website, THON has raised over $219 million since it partnered with Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in 1977.
