College students raise $6,500

The local campus is sending two students to the dance marathon this year.

SHARON, Pa. — Penn State Shenango students, under the direction of THON chairmen Jason Allay of New Castle, Pa., and Amanda Stumpf of Niles, have been busy raising more than $6,500 for kids with cancer.

The money is being delivered to the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (more commonly known as THON), in State College, Pa., this weekend.

Two campus students, Thomas Cantola of Niles and Raquel Rust of Sharon, will represent the Shenango campus as dancers at this year’s 46-hour THON in the Bryce Jordan Center on the University Park Campus, which kicks off at 6 p.m. today and ends at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The dancers will be backed up by a team of supporting students from the Penn State Shenango Campus.

“The THON Club has done a fantastic job bringing in donations this year,” Allay said. “To date, we’ve raised more than $2,000 over last year and are hoping to increase that amount. The proceeds from the various fundraisers we’ve held, including basket raffles, our Charity Ball and Date Auction, and several canning weekends, will go to the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital.”

The Four Diamonds Fund helps the families of children with cancer offset the cost of treatments that insurance does not cover, as well as other expenses that may disrupt the welfare of the child, such as car repairs, rent or household utilities. The fund also supports the medical team that cares for the children and funds pediatric cancer research through start-up grants and The Four Diamond Pediatric Cancer Research Institute.

More than 80 percent of the institute’s funding comes from this one annual THON event.

What began as a fraternity dance competition in 1973 has grown into what organizers say is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. It’s raised more than $46 million since it began some three decades ago.

The effort raised more than $5.2 million last year alone.

Following a year-round fund-raising effort, some 700 student dancers, with hundreds more serving in support roles, spend the weekend dancing in a no-sitting, no-sleeping marathon. Their support teams keep them going and they receive encouragement from visits by pediatric cancer victims and their families during the event.

Anyone wishing to donate to THON, which is a tax-exempt charity, can go to thon.org or call the Penn State Shenango Student Affairs Office at (724) 983-2836.