THON
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THON 2026 by the Numbers: Fundraisers Deliver Years of Care and Services for Four Diamonds Families
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THON 2026 concluded Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center with final fundraising totals confirmed after every donation was counted and each organization credited. The record-setting $18.8 million raised within the past year and weekend benefits Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and its mission of supporting children and families battling pediatric cancer. This…
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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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THON 2026 Raises Record $18.8 Million
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Another year, another record-setting fundraising total for Penn State’s THON and its efforts to support pediatric cancer patients and research. THON 2026 raised $18,841,726.53 for the Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, the student-run philanthropy revealed on Sunday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center. The announcement came following the conclusion of the annual 46-hour…
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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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Cooper Cousins Describes Importance of THON to Penn State Football Coaches, Players
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The crack of plastic bats and laughter echoed throughout Holuba Hall on Saturday afternoon as Penn State’s football team hosted its annual THON Explorer’s Program. After fouling off a couple pitches, offensive lineman Cooper Cousins lined a whiffle ball down the third-base line and trotted to first base, marked by an orange kickball. “Any time…
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Fitz and The Tantrums Perform at THON 2026
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Fitz and The Tantrums took the Bryce Jordan Center stage as the surprise national act for THON 2026 on Friday night in the early stages of the Penn State student-run 46-hour dance marathon benefiting pediatric cancer patients and their families. Dancers on the floor rushed toward the stage as the indie pop and soul band…
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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…