Student-Athletes Help Dance Marathon Raise $10.6 Million in Battle for Pediatric Cancer Patients
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.– Penn State Athletics and its student-athletes again took an active role with the 47th IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) at the Bryce Jordan Center last weekend, helping raise more than $10.6 million in the fight against pediatric cancer.
Four student-athletes represented Penn State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB) and a fifth represented another organization. They were among the hundreds of Nittany Lion students who volunteered or participated in THON activities. SAAB raised a record $70,396.25 for THON, which ranked No. 4 among THON’s 400-plus General Organizations.
A total of $10,621,683.76 was raised by THON’s 700-plus dancers, who did not sit for 46 hours, and 16,500-plus student volunteers.
SAAB’s previous record high THON total was in 2010 when the students raised $64,116.17. Since 2000, SAAB has raised just over $800,000 for THON, the Four Diamonds Fund and pediatric cancer patients.
The four SAAB dancers were:
-Francisco Bisono (wrestling, junior, Hauppauge, N.Y.)
-Abby Myers (field hockey, sophomore, Hartland, Wis.)
-Jenny Rizzo (field hockey, senior, Hershey, Pa.)
-Sarafina Valenti (women’s soccer, junior, Bechtelsville, Pa.)
Tess Kearns (senior, Scranton, Pa.) from women’s cross country/track and field, also danced in THON. Kearns was a SAAB THON Committee chair the past three years, with SAAB raising nearly $215,000 for THON over the past four years.
Along with the dancers and several committee members, numerous other student-athletes attend THON and participate in Student-Athlete Hour and a THON favorite, the Pep Rally. A total of 18 teams danced in the Pep Rally, which is one of the highlight events during THON. The men’s gymnastics team was selected the Pep Rally winner for the third consecutive year. Several Penn State teams also hosted families as part of the THON Explorers Program.
Coverage of Penn State Athletics and SAAB from throughout THON can be found at:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/QbBzdfC7au06J/
Since 1977, THON has partnered with The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital with one goal in mind: conquering childhood cancer. To date, more than $157 million has been raised by THON. At least 95 percent of the funds raised at THON are donated directly to Four Diamonds.
For more information about Dance Marathon, go to www.THON.org.
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