Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon - Student Involvement

Student Involvement

Besides the 700 dancers and more than 15,000 organizers, thousands of Penn State students get involved in raising money for THON. These students are generally organized into teams under other student organizations. Many organizations field THON teams, from fraternities and sororities to the University Park Undergraduate Association. Teams are responsible for abiding by rules issued by the Overall Committee, the organizing body of THON, but are otherwise independent and allowed to raise funds however they see fit. Most of them go "canning", standing in public places throughout the U.S. Northeast on weekends from November to February with cans carrying the Penn State logo and the plea to "Help Kids with Cancer". Other students employ door-to-door solicitation and letter solicitation, while others request corporate donations. There has been a recent shift in focus to these alternative forms of fundraising as worries have emerged over student safety while canning.

Fundraising is not the only focus. One of THON's primary goals is to raise awareness of the plight of children afflicted with pediatric cancer. Campus organizations, especially fraternities and sororities, compete for "Spirit Points" that are seen as in the "Spirit of THON". Possibilities for earning points include volunteering on one of the organizing committees, hosting or attending THON events, and donating materials necessary for the weekend itself. While points were once awarded purely on number of team members involved, there has been a recent shift to awards based on percentage of members involved. This new system was an attempt to level the playing field for smaller student organizations. The winning organization receives a number of prizes, including special admission privileges to that year's event, as well as the following year's.