Wednesday marks a big day in Happy Valley. It officially begins the countdown to THON 2018. In just 100 days, thousands of volunteers will pack the Bryce Jordan Center in pursuit of a cure for the kids. However, until then we have the celebration on Wednesday to look forward to.
100 Days ‘til Thon will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Hub and Old Main Lawn. This year is different from past celebrations because of the celebration of THON’s first capital campaign, “One Day We Will Dance in Celebration.” This campaign began one week ago with a goal to raise $100,000 for THON in seven days. This campaign will end at noon on Wednesday.
“The dollar total will be announced at the end of the 100 Days event, and it is exciting that we are integrating our fundraising efforts with such a fun event,” says Carolina Carlton, a Media Relations Captain.
Students who have never experienced 100 Days can expect a pep rally environment with energetic committee members, captains, directors, families, participants all with the energy they have THON weekend.
“100 Days ’til THON is a celebration of all our student volunteers’ fundraising efforts throughout the year. The event also motivates the THON community to continue to work towards THON weekend. The atmosphere of 100 Days is like a pep rally, with all the elements of THON weekend, like the line dance, hair donations, and family speakers. The event is like a big hangout for students to share their love of THON, with dancing, music and fun activities,” says Carlton.
At the end of the event the THON community travels to Old Main Lawn to take the human picture which in the past has spelled out ‘HOPE’ or ‘FTK.’
“I love that you can be a small part of the bigger picture, just like how THON is made possible through our over 16,500 volunteers. Plus, the word that is spelled out is a surprise, so I always look forward to finding out what we’ll be doing,” says Carlton.
VALLEY believes it’s a day to celebrate the THON and remember why people volunteer for this cause in the first place.
“I am FTK because I strongly believe that no family should ever have to hear the words ‘your child has cancer.’ Childhood cancer is a cause that hits close to home for me, and I feel like I understand the impact that all of THON’s emotional and financial support has on these families. And once you experience your first THON, and see the smiles on the kids faces, it makes everything you do throughout the year so rewarding,” says Carlton.
Penn State, we stand in 100!
