In 1973 Penn State’s Interfraternity Council started Penn State Dance Marathon (THON) – 39 couples danced for 30 hours straight and raised $2,000 for pediatric cancer. Today, 28 years later, students will enter Bryce Jordan Center and continue the tradition. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world and last year generated $7,838,954 for the Four Diamonds Fund.

For those that have experienced THON, you know about the emotion and excitement of this weekend. If this is your first time learning about THON, I greatly urge you to visit the THON.org website, watch a live stream, view the blog and make a donation.

365 days of the year Penn Staters scream “We are…Penn State” – this weekend, we celebrate THON and chant “FTK” (For the Kids).

-

-

We THON for Children

We THON for children

Who gives us sticky kisses

Who hop on rocks and chase butterflies

Who Stomp in puddles and ruin their math workbooks

Who can never find their shoes.

-

We THON for children

Who‟ve never squeaked across the floor in new sneakers

Who‟ve never gotten to go to kindergarten

Who know things we don‟t know

Who never go to the circus

-

We THON for children

Who bring us fistful of dandelions and sing off key

Who have goldfish funerals, build cardboard table forts

Who slurp their cereal on purpose

Who put gum in their hair, put sugar in their milk

Who spit their toothpast all over the sink

Who hug us for no reason, who bless us each night

-

We THON for those

Who spend all of their allowances before Tuesday

Who throw tantrums in the grocery store

And pick at their food

Who like ghost stories

Who shove dirty clothes under the bed

And take toys into the bath

Who get quarters from the tooth fairy

Who don‟t like to be kissed in front of carpool

Who squirm in church and scream on the phone

Whose tears we sometimes laugh at

And whose smiles can make us cry.

-

We THON for those

Whose nightmares come in the daytime

Who can‟t eat anything because their little bellies hurt

Who know what social workers are and what music therapists do

Who live their little live on marathon drive in Hershey

-

We THON for children

Who want to be carried, and for those who must be

For those we never give up on, and for those who are given a chance

For those we smother, and those who will grab the hand of anyone kind enough to offer.

-

-