A Penn State Thon like never before: How the virtual event will work and how to stay engaged
Although the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon will be held virtually for the first time, leaders of the world’s largest student-run philanthropy will try to replicate the high-energy experience for viewers nationwide this weekend.
Over 16,500 student volunteers fundraise year-round to combat pediatric cancer — an effort that culminates in a 46-hour dance marathon traditionally held at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Katie Solomon, a fifth-year senior serving as Thon’s executive director, said the organization created a preliminary timeline last April for making decisions about whether the event would be held in person. That timeline had November listed as the deadline to make the call, but by August the group knew it had to go virtual as the pandemic worsened.
“The earlier we were able to make that decision and get it out, the sooner we would be able to start making plans, letting people know ... that Thon’s going to look different this year, but we’re going to work together to make it happen,” Solomon said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be full-scale, so we had to draw back as fast as possible to ... let the community know that we’re taking safety as a priority this year.”
Solomon added that many Four Diamonds families, the philanthropy’s beneficiaries, are immunocompromised, so organizers have thought about them “with every decision we make.” Four Diamonds supports families affected by pediatric cancer at the Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Hershey.
A different way to dance and spectate
Traditional elements of Thon weekend, such as performances, a pep rally, family events and the Final Four will still occur.
Sam Koon, a fifth-year senior serving as Thon’s public relations director, said there will be some in-person events in the BJC throughout Thon weekend, but with increased safety measures.
Only “necessary personnel” who have quarantined for at least 10 days beforehand and submit a negative COVID-19 test result within three days of the event will be allowed in the BJC, Koon said.
All the dancers will take part remotely from their own homes.
Thon encourages its dancers — and viewers — to rest between midnight and 6 a.m. throughout the weekend because they won’t have the normal atmosphere of support from a jam-packed BJC or access to medical resources if needed.
“We just want to encourage everyone to remember to keep themselves and others around them safe by following all state, local and (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines as well,” Koon said.
The organization also released a 17-page “Spectator Guide” to make the event “as engaging as possible,” Koon said.
Thon dancers and families will receive their own guides, as well as special packages, to ensure they’re staying engaged all weekend regardless of their location, Koon said.
“Now we’re bringing the magic of Thon weekend to everywhere around the world,” Koon said.
Getting creative with fundraising
Organizers aren’t concerned about the fundraising total, because with or without a pandemic, Thon never sets a goal, said senior Kate Colgan, the organization’s fundraising safety director.
“Any amount of money that we raise is money that’s going toward treating and research for childhood cancer, so any amount of money that we raise is going to make a difference,” Colgan said.
Last year, Thon raised over $11 million and has raised over $180 million total since it began in 1973.
While typical fundraising through Thon’s online DonorDrive platform is effective, Colgan said it’s been “really amazing” to see students get creative in their fundraising methods this past year given the lack of in-person fundraising opportunities.
“Students have kind of gotten a chance to think outside the box this year and not really just rely on the same three types of fundraising methods that they’ve used for the past several years,” she said.
Colgan said students will also have the opportunity to fundraise throughout the event, something that’s unique because it’s usually difficult to get internet connection inside the BJC and share one’s DonorDrive page.
Learning lessons to help Thon grow
Beyond its mission statement, Thon has the ability to bring people together, Solomon said, which is something that has especially resonated with organizers throughout the past year.
“We learned this year more than ever before that it doesn’t matter where you’re at, who you are, what side of Thon ... you’re a part of,” Solomon said. “This whole community is necessary to make things happen.”
Koon said she is excited to see how Thon weekend functions as a “testament” to the work that volunteers have done.
“Without a doubt this has been a challenging year for everyone both inside and outside the Thon community, but that has made our mission even more integral to what we do,” Koon said.
Solomon said she’s happy to be able to better serve and support members of Thon’s community by providing online events throughout the weekend — something she said the organization hasn’t done a great job of in the past.
The lessons organizers have learned this year about how to engage with Thon families, student volunteers and stakeholders in a virtual setting will help Thon grow outside of State College, Solomon said.
“I’m excited to see kind of how the organization changes as a result of this year,” she said.
Thon will be broadcast at https://thon.org/livestream from 5:15 p.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Sunday. Dancers will begin standing at 6 p.m. Friday.
This story was originally published February 15, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
