State College seniors gear up for Penn State Thon with 46 minutes of dancing, celebrating

Speakers hummed with “Electric Slide,” “Pennsylvania Polka” and “Walking on Sunshine” at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living on Monday as residents danced in a mini-Thon celebration.

The mini-danceathon mimics the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon on a smaller scale while still helping to fundraise for the Four Diamonds Fund. Cat Rokavec-Hirsh, Juniper Village at Brookline’s communications coordinator, said the event is a great community opportunity and an excuse for residents to let loose. Last year residents raised more than $500 for Thon’s fight against pediatric cancer, a goal Rokavec-Hirsh is hoping to beat this year through events on Monday, Wednesday and Feb. 15.

“It’s a really great event for our residents and families to just have fun and celebrate the big idea of what Thon is,” Rokavec-Hirsh said. “It’s about raising money for a good cause and coming together as a community.”

Rather than the 46 hours Thon dancers will do starting Feb. 17, the Brookline residents danced for 46 minutes in walkers, wheelchairs and on their feet. Three instructors taught chair dances, line dances and movements, interspaced with short water breaks.

Besides the general joy of community and dancing, the event is a great way to keep residents active, the facility’s fitness coordinator Sue Lembeck said.

“They forget about their aches and pains,” Lembeck said. “They don’t even know that they’ve gone 15 minutes or a half hour straight ... doing a cardio workout. So it really is important for body, mind and spirit.”

And the residents had a whole lot of spirit, clapping and toe-tapping along to “The Cupid Shuffle” and “Macarena.” Bob Rodino, or “Broadway Bob,” his nickname following his performance in the residents’ “Mary Poppins” musical last year, said he had always been a big dancer.

“I love this, I love dancing with all the pretty girls,” Rodino said, gesturing to the room.

The afternoon dance party reminded some residents of their younger years and the music that filled them. Residents Gwen Bunnell and Grace Pfleegor sat next to each other, talking about childhood tap dance classes and the Glenn Miller songs they loved.

“Chattanooga Choo Choo, oh and the Jitterbug,” Gwen said, reminiscing on her favorite dances as the residents rested in between the “Boot Scoot Boogie” and “Born to Hand Jive.”

The mini-Thon program will cycle through all Juniper’s State College communities, heading to its memory care community on Wednesday and the skilled nursing community on Feb. 15.