Penn State Fayette first commonwealth campus to raise $1 million for THON
Chad Long, Manager of Student affairs and Alicia WIlliams, THON Team Chair unvail a plaque that honors the campus by being the first sattelite campus to earn over $1 million for THON. Dr. Charles Patrick and Wayne Port are there to take part in the ceremony as well
Some of the members of the Penn State Fayette The Eberly Campus THON team memebers
Chancellor Dr. Charles Patrick looked over the crowd that gathered in the student center at the Williams Building Tuesday evening at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, and proudly announced the news to an eager audience.
“Penn State Fayette THON students this year collected over $85,000 in donations to fight pediatric cancer. That’s a feat in itself,” Patrick noted. “But this year’s effort pushed the total THON donations past $1 million. Penn State Fayette becomes the first of 19 commonwealth campuses to reach the million-dollar mark.”
Patrick’s announcement came at a catered reception and the unveiling of a plaque as the campus celebrated its involvement in Penn State’s Dance Marathon, affectionately referred to as THON. The world’s largest student-run philanthropy, THON raises both funds for and awareness of pediatric cancer.
The THON website explains, “Since 1977, THON has partnered with Four Diamonds Fund to provide outstanding emotional and financial support to families undergoing pediatric treatment at Penn State Hershey as well as provide funds for research that impacts cancer treatments nationwide.”
THON raised more than $13 million this year and more than $127 million throughout its history.
Held every February at University Park, THON features Penn State students who take part in a 46-hour dance marathon where they do not sleep or sit. Event staff — all students — keep up their spirits with music, activities, refreshments and emotional support.
Support also comes from the student body and family members who turn out for the event as well as entire communities who donate during the program’s canning events, such as the one that supports Fayette campus.
“I want to thank the community for its generous and ongoing support,” said Alicia Williams, a senior from Masontown and 2014-15 Fayette THON chair.
Penn State Fayette has been a part of THON for the past 18 years. Student Chad Long, now manager of student affairs for the campus and THON adviser, started the first team for the 1997-98 school year.
“We had a goal of raising $5,000. We reached that goal within a couple of weeks and we knew we had started something special,” said Long, who said the campus raised about $15,000 the first year, ahead of the top amount raised the previous year by Penn State’s York campus.
Success came not only from determined students but because of the Eberly family of Uniontown. The late Robert Eberly donated $5,000 to the Fayette Campus first THON effort and, at Long’s request, doubled that amount in the ensuing two years.
Wayne Port, a member of Penn State Fayette’s advisory board, recalled the Eberly family made donations before there was a Fayette THON team. His own daughter, part of a THON team at Penn State University Park, reached out in the mid-’90s to Eberly, who didn’t hesitate.
Both Port and Patrick noted that Penn State Fayette can be proud of reaching the million-dollar mark despite being one of the smallest commonwealth campuses. And Williams reported this year’s team had only 35 members.
Port also credited Fayette THON team members, who are unpaid and subject to headaches and backaches as they undergo their mission.
But he noted, “They stand, in my opinion, among the giants of Penn State University.”
The audience that heard legislative aide Shawn Conway read a citation of congratulations from state Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Dunbar, and watched the unveiling of the plaque included the six dancers from this year’s team.
They are Emily Hartsek, a freshman from Uniontown; Bryan Kibe, a junior from Perryopolis; Bobby Phillips, a junior from Mapletown; Brooke Protos, a sophomore from Fayette City, Kaytlyne Povlik, a junior from Normalville, and Andrew Bird, a senior from Mapletown.
Phillips said, “I have a nephew who’s two years old. I was thinking that if it ever happened to him, I’d want someone to be there for him so I wanted to be there for someone else.”
Kibe said, “I feel the families should be supported not only financially but by us dancing. It shows that we care and are there for the cause.”
Teams develop relationship with families of children who are suffering from cancer and many families visit THON. Throughout its existence, Penn State Fayette team has been matched with four youths and their families.
Bird noted THON can be emotional, “When you see all the families – everybody that cancer affects and everybody that has been helped.”
But the dancers’ spirits are also buoyed by supporters.
“When we’re canning,” said Povlik, “we get to tell people about our experiences at THON and they’re very appreciative.”
“They always say thank you to us,” said Protos.
THON isn’t easy but there are rewards.
“It was hard but it was a great experience,” said Hartsek. “It felt empowering that I was making a difference, even if it was a small one.”