In just a handful of hours, over 700 Penn State students will stand up on the Bryce Jordan Center floor.
They won’t sit down or stop dancing for 46 hours as part of the no-sleeping, no-sitting dance marathon.
That’s right… THON 2016, the latest edition of the world’s largest student-run philanthropic organization, starts tonight and runs until Sunday, when the dancers will sit down and the total amount of money raised for the Four Diamonds Fund will be announced.
Here’s everything you need to know about THON 2016.
WHO: Thousands of Penn State students within more than 350 organizations spend a year raising money for the big event, with their efforts culminating in a 46-hour marathon and celebration that starts tonight. A total of 708 dancers will take part in the marathon.
WHAT: The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. It all started in 1973, and the organization’s relationship with the Four Diamonds Fund began shortly after in 1977. THON raised just $52,818 that year, an impressive amount that doesn’t even compare to the most recent eight-figure totals over the last four years. The total amount raised by THON is $127,887,558.34, with $13 million of that coming in 2015.
WHEN: Tonight at 6 p.m. until Sunday at 4 p.m.
WHERE: The Bryce Jordan Center, right on Penn State’s campus. The university lends its arena out to THON every year for a few days for the marathon.
WHY: For The Kids, as the organization’s motto says. The organization is entirely run by volunteers and all donations go to the Four Diamonds Fund, a charitable organization based out of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center with a motto of ‘Conquering Childhood Cancer.’ The fund provides medical care, financial and emotional support for children suffering from pediatric cancer and their families, and funds research into treatments and a cure.
WATCH: You can watch the entirety of the 46-hour dance marathon online thanks to 46 LIVE, a high definition live broadcast produced by College of Communications students at the university. Click here to watch the broadcast, which starts at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
