Editor's Note: This story originally appeared in AlumnInsider, the Penn State Alumni Association's monthly member e-newsletter. You can click here for information on becoming a member, and you can follow the Alumni Association on Facebook and Twitter for more stories and updates on events.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The countdown is on to the 2016 IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (Feb. 19–21), and alumni looking to reconnect with THON have some new options: The Alumni Challenge and Inspire 5.
From THON’s humble beginnings in the White Building, there are thousands of Penn Staters to thank for THON’s progression to the largest student-run philanthropy in the nation.
No matter how far removed you are from Happy Valley, in years or in miles, there are many opportunities for alumni to stay connected to THON.
Among the various groups within the THON organizational structure is an entire group of students dedicated to connecting with Penn State graduates through the Alumni Relations Committee.
Did you graduate in the '70s? '80s? '90s? 2000s?
Well, the Alumni Relations Committee is keeping track!
THON organizers are asking alumni to share memories and donate while supporting their classmates in a blue-and-white competition between class years.
“The purpose of the Alumni Challenge is to create a friendly matchup between graduation decades,” said Alumni Engagement Director Paige Schank.
To contribute to the Alumni Challenge, visit the THON website, and share on social media with the hashtag #AlumniFTK.
In addition to making donations, alumni can also share their favorite photos and memories of THON by clicking here. Submissions will be shared in a weekly Alumni Spotlight and also during THON Weekend.
“We want to serve as a resource for alumni who are trying to stay connected with THON,” Schank said. “We believe that THON is one of the University’s greatest traditions, and we treasure the opportunity to keep people connected to the cause and the University as a whole.”
Another option is a twist on the old standby, the THONvelope.
The new initiative is called Inspire 5, and Alumni Relations members hope it accomplishes just what the name implies. By signing up online, alumni will receive five sets of materials about THON to send out to — and hopefully inspire — five new people about THON’s mission.
Click here to sign up for Inspire 5, and also use the hashtag #TakeActionFTK on social media.
“Inspire 5 allows alumni to be more actively involved in promoting THON’s mission — funding care for our Four Diamonds families, and ultimately finding a cure for pediatric cancer,” Schank said.
The return envelopes included in the Inspire 5 materials also enable donors to credit the funds to a specific student organization, if they so choose.
For more information related to THON, visit the Events page on THON’s website. And for weekly updates about THON’s progress, you can sign up for a weekly newsletter by clicking here.