Impact

THON's first canning weekend sends students across tri-state area

University Park, Pa. -- Hundreds of Penn State students this weekend will pick up their cans and signs, pack into cars and drive all over Pennsylvania and the East Coast to raise money to help kids fight cancer.

Oct. 22-24 marks the first canning weekend of the 2011 Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately known as THON. Students in organizations and those who are trying to dance independently in THON will head to places such as Philadelphia, New York, Harrisburg and New Jersey to stand outside for hours, all to raise money for The Four Diamonds Fund.

“Canning is a great way not only to raise money to help kids fight cancer, but to spread the word of THON and The Four Diamonds Fund,” says Jony Rommel, public relations overall chairperson for THON 2011. “We are very excited for the first canning weekend to kick off the canning season.”

Students who go canning will stand outside store fronts, on intersections and other locations holding cans and signs, asking passersby to donate money to THON. An average of 269 organizations go out each of the four canning weekends throughout the THON season, contributing thousands of dollars to the total revealed at the conclusion of THON weekend, next held Feb. 18-20, 2011. Cans and signs now will feature the Penn State and THON logos, along with the new phrase “Help Kids Fight Cancer.” Canning materials can be picked up on the Friday before each canning weekend. (Three additional canning weekends will occur Dec. 3-5, 2010, and Jan. 21-23 and Feb. 11-13 in 2011.)

During the past 35 years, THON has raised more than $69 million and has helped more than 2,000 children who have been diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Last year alone, with the help of generous donations, THON raised more than $7.9 million.

For further information regarding canning weekend rules and regulations, visit www.thon.org or contact Overall Rules and Regulations Chairperson Zach Hinkle at rules.regulations@thon.org.
 

To learn more about THON, click on the image above. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated January 19, 2011

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