THON raises over 6.6 million dollars for Four Diamonds Fund

I just got home from the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State’s University Park campus. I was there to witness the final few hours of The Penn State Dance Marathon (THON).  As a Penn State alum, and a parent, THON is something that I’m incredibly passionate about. Attending THON in person is an amazing experience that I’m really not sure can be described. It’s highs and lows filled with great pride and humility all in one event.

My favorite moments from THON this year were:
1. Meeting Willa in Second Life. Willa is a Penn State grad that read this blog and then showed up for the Second Life version of THON.
2. Watching Orion run all over Second Life to find camping chairs, money trees and whatever else he could find so that he could donate to the Second Life THON. Orion was working in a computer lab on the Penn State campus during the Second Life THON.
3. Dancing with friends and other Second Life residents while listening to amazing musicians at the THON benefit
4. Attending the real-life THON today and seeing a little boy in a wheelchair that I also remember seeing last year.
5. Watching this year’s line dance being done by thousands of people
6. Listening to those same thousands of people sing along to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” in the minutes before THON ended
7. Standing there while this year’s total was revealed and watching those numbers immediately blur as my eyes filled with tears – so amazed.

To everyone that has played a part in raising money and awareness for THON this year, thank you. I look forward to working with the Penn State World Campus students to help them raise money for next year so the overall total exceeds 7 million.

FTK.