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Students attending the 2011 Road to THON Celebration were treated to a surprise -- a photo with Joe Paterno, taken by none other than his wife, Sue. The Paternos stopped by the reception preceding the annual celebration dinner at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel to offer their support as students prepare for THON weekend, which is Feb. 18-20 this year.
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Barry Bram, senior associate director of unions and student activities in Student Affairs as well as THON's adviser, introduced the 2011 THON overall committee at the start of the evening.
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Michael Morse, a Penn State instructor of kinesiology and a survivor of not only cancer but also a car accident and a lightning strike, was the evening's master of ceremonies. His speech reminded the audience that when facing adversity, everyone has the choice to approach it with a positive attitude.
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The 2011 "Together Without Limits" THON logo appeared on guests' dessert glasses in the form of a printed fondant disc. Road to THON Celebration attendees also received a commemorative booklet that included testimonials from THON volunteers and Four Diamonds families, as well as the full text of the Four Diamonds story, written by Christopher Millard. His parents, Charles and Irma Millard, established The Four Diamonds Fund in 1972 after Chris died of cancer at the age of 11.
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Barbara Miller, the Christopher Millard Endowed Chair and chief of pediatric hematology/oncology at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, served as the keynote speaker during the Road to THON Celebration. She also received the Diamond of Courage Award during one of several Four Diamonds Awards given during the evening.
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AJ Frantz, a high school junior and soccer player at Tulpehocken Area High School, holds a Nittany Lion statue following the conclusion of the Road to THON Celebration. He and his father, Jim, were the family speakers for the evening, telling the audience their experiences since becoming a Four Diamonds family in December 2008, when AJ was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. AJ Frantz continues to receive monthly treatments at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and takes daily chemotherapy medication.
![A group photo of the ECOGIG team aboard the "Jewels of the Gulf: Deepwater Expedition."](https://news.psu.edu/sites/default/files/styles/multimedia_most_popular/public/jewels-of-the-gulf-team-shot.jpg?itok=StIJuEKt ""Jewels of the Gulf: Deepwater Expedition" Group Shot")