Impact

Penn State Fayette THON Team raises $87,000 to fight pediatric cancer

UNIONTOWN, Pa. -- The Penn State Fayette THON team -- a group of about 60 Fayette campus students -- raised $87,942.22 for THON 2012. This year, THON teams across Penn State University campuses raised a combined total of $10,686,924.83 in an effort to fight pediatric cancer, topping last year’s record $9.5 million.

The Penn State Dance MaraTHON is a yearlong fundraising event contributing to The Four Diamonds Fund, which strives to beat childhood cancer by helping children and their families, treating them at Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey, Pa.

Since the organization of the Fayette campus THON team 15 years ago, the team has raised over $735,000 for the Four Diamonds Fund charity.

Among Penn State’s 19 Commonwealth Campuses, the Fayette THON Team has been the No. 1 fundraising campus 12 of the past 15 years; the team placed second in 2005, 2006 and 2011.

Student dancers, student volunteers, faculty, staff, alumni and family members from throughout the University system packed the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park for the concluding THON weekend Feb. 17-19. About 40 team members from Penn State Fayette were present in support of the campus’ six dancers, who participated in the exhausting 46 hour no-sitting, no-sleeping event.

“I’m very proud to be a part of the Fayette THON team," said Penn State Fayette THON Team adviser Chad Long. "Our students work extremely hard to help further pediatric cancer research and financially assist families with the physical and emotional support they need. With a tough economy and the recent events at Penn State, our students have overcome difficult challenges. They should be an inspiration to everyone!”

For more information about THON, visit www.THON.org.

Last Updated February 27, 2012

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