A Worthwhile Cause
Filed under: Inspiration
CLICK HERE to read up on and donate to a very worthwhile cause!
"Welcome to THON.org, the online home of the largest student-run philanthropy in the world! The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately referred to as THON, is a yearlong effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. Since 1977, THON has raised more than $61 million for The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children's Hospital. We're excited to have you join us as we continue to make strides to find a cure."
Wino Loves The Boys And Girls!
Mel Gibson's Less Than Triumphant Return To Film!
How much did you donate porky????
We Are! This is such a worthwhile cause and truly a remarkable organization to be a part of! The difference that this campus makes in the lives of the children is amazing and if you have ever been a part of it, you know how unforgettable the experience is!
Re: Long Dong Connery – Porky pig spent all his $$ on his shitfest of cartoonz. Mornin' hun
Why is this bear throwing up the Dynasty sign….??
Its the ROC in his muhfucka!!!…….
THANK YOU for featuring THON on your site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why the hell is that mascot showing the triangle - aka the all seeing eye! wtf!
GO THON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE ARE…………………PENN STATE….
Good luck to all of the people involved in Thon this year. Let's beat last year's record breaking year of donations!
THANK YOU PEREZ for featuring THON!! Please check out & donate to THON.ORG!!!!!!!! =)
WE ARE …. PENN STATE!!!
the "triangle" represents The Four Diamonds (courage, wisdom, honesty and strength) –which is the name of the fund in which the donations will go to. Thank you so much for your support Perez!!! It means everything to the families struck by their tragedies and the students at Penn State! We Are! GO THON!!!!!
WE ARE!!! Such a good cause please donate! You can also come watch everyone dance (if your in the area) that is always so much fun!!!
PS. I love the lion!
throw hands up in sky ADPI!
Thanks for posting this. THON is an organization near & dear to my heart. I danced in 08 to raise money For The Kids with pediatric cancer. It was an amazing experience. I have met many wonderful families & remain close to 2 of them to this day. Please, if you can, donate. Ever little bit counts. These kids & family are amazing & deserve every bit of help they can get.
WE ARE…. PENN STATE!!
It is not a triangle nor the dynasty symbol. The Lion is holding up a diamond for the Four Diamonds fund that THON supports. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world that raises money to help children with cancer.
Perez-thank you sooo much for featuring THON on your site. You have no idea how much this means to the organization.
THANKS PEREZ!! THON is such a good cause appreciate you putting it on your page! : ) The effort that goes into THON and all the money donated to THON goes to help better the lives and children with cancer!
"When cancer is cured, we will dance for joy. Until then, we will dance for life." Ah Perez we're in a love/hate relationship. It's definitely now and will forever be LOVE. Thank you for posting this, THON is truly amazing!!!
The diamond he is making is a symbol of the charity, the four diamonds fund. Thanks for including this! It's a great cause!!
Thanks Perez the Students work so hard and put all they can into THON! Hopefully people outside of the Penn State community will donate!
FTK - For The Kids
Hey thanks Perez for posting this article!
I just want to say im a Penn State Student, Dancing in this years Marathon
Which is a 46 hour dedication to the cause. It will be held Feb 19th-21st at the Bryce Jordan Center. Its free for anyone to come and support.
Also there is news that Khloe Kardashian will be matching all donations made this year, Which should be around $7.5 million (making here the coolest Kardashian) - im sure she will be there along with other celebrities!
ITs an Honor to dance in THON - I can't wait PENN STATE
WE ARE…
perez, you have NO idea how greatly this helps THON!!! THON has changed my life, as well as many others, in a beautifully remarkable way. Thank you so much for spreading the word and getting THON out there! "Together, we will make a difference in the life of a child"
Hi Perez,
As a current 2010 THON Captain, I just wanted to personally thank you for everything that you have done to support us and help generate awareness of our cause. You truly inspire all of us here at Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON). With THON 2010 right around the corner (Feb. 19-21), we would love for you to join us and experience our passion. It is truly a breathtaking experience!
Please let us know if you would like to attend so that we can accommodate you!
For The Kids! For The Fight! For The Cure!
One day, we'll dance in celebration. Until then, we'll continue to dance for a cure.
Love Belongs Here,
Han
Wow, It is an honor to be a part of Thon and to see the organization we work so hard to raise money for all year on your website. FTK!
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THON!!! FTK
Perez! Muchas gracias for featuring THON on your site! There are so many of us who were/are involved with this phenomenal organization and we appreciate the recognition from someone like you. You should come visit us at THON!
Re: FOR THE KIDS 2010 –
Thank you Perez for your support of THON and of the kids for whom we fight so hard!
**However, I would like to clarify a comment by "FOR THE KIDS 2010." There have been no conversations to date with Ms. Kardashian about matching donations.
We will continue to fight, For The Kids and For The Cure.
Love Belongs Here!
thank you so much for supporting THON perez! i just wanted to let you know that every hour, everyone at THON does a dance called the line dance which is written around all that years events and last year, you were in it! haha the exact line was "britney cleans up her act, says perez, that's a fact!" thanks again! you have no idea how much excitement you are causing at penn state!
We Are! Thank you so much for posting this Perez! THON is a truly amazing cause and the work that students put into making THON weekend is beyond exceptional. THON is so important to the children and the proceeds go to an amazing cause, the Four Diamonds Fund. THANK YOU PEREZ!! FTK!!
This has been one of the most rewarding things i have ever been involved with! seeing so many students come together for such a great cause…Thank you Penn State!
I go to Penn State and I can't even express how happy I am that you posted this. I am a member of an independent organization and we have made over $14,000 alone so I'm very excited to see how much money the entire school raises this year. You are awesome for putting this up, Perez- I hope this gets the message across and people realize how amazing this cause is and that they can donate to THON. Every penny counts… We Are! For the Kids! THON 2010 … "Love Belongs Here!"
Perez! Thank you so much for mentioning THON in your blog! It means so much to the Penn State students who work so hard for this cause each year.
Thanks again and FTK!
Thanks so much Perez!!!!!!! So glad to see THON on here!! WE ARE!!!! PENN STATE!!
THANK YOU PEREZ!! It's amazing how many people are showing their support for the THON.
P.S. The Nittany Lion mascot is doing the diamond for the Four Diamonds Fund which THON benefits. It wouldn't hurt if Jay-Z donated though…
The Nittany Lion is making a diamond out of his hands… all the money goes to the 4 Diamonds fund.
Thanks for bringing this incredible event to light! FTK!
this is why I love you perez!
FTK! thanks for spreading the word!
thank you for spreading the word! so much hard work goes into raising this money. every penny counts and we appreciate all of your help!
FTK!!!!!!! Thank you so much for featuring this on you website!!! We PSU students work year round for the weekend of Feb 19-21.. You should come and help dance for the cure! It would get so much publicity out for THON. Go PSU!!
WE ARE PENN STATE
Before you tout this charity, you should look to see how much of the money goes "For the Kids" and how much goes to overhead. PSU controls these funds and a disproportionate amount goes to high salaries and posh office space. Why does Penn State take 5% right off the top for costs? How can costs be a % of funds raised? They don't pay for fund-raising. You could agree there should be a flat fee to cover costs, but to push the kids to raise funds when they get a %? Then teach the students not to question? Duplicitous.
I know I'll get flamed for this.
PSU has taught the students not to question any aspect of THON. Taking a page from the W administration, they've equated dissent with derision.
Don't question the all powerful Penn State or you hate children & want them to die horribly of cancer.
If the money went for the cancer kid's comfort I'd donate, but it all goes to people WITHOUT CANCER…FORGET IT!
THON is such a worthwhile cause thank you so much for your support!
We are…
perez hilton, i have been e-mailing you for years about THON and you have not said ONE WORD ABOUT IT UNTIL NOW. the second khloe kardashian tweets about it, it suddenly becomes newsworthy. you truly are the most shallow, attention-craving person in show business AND YOURE NOT EVEN FAMOUS. the least you could do is donate a sizeable amount to the kids that you have ignored aknowledging for the past 4 years.
Re: rejco100 – that is a blatent lie. this money goes DIRECTLY to the families that are burdened with childhood cancer.
It's the symbol we have for the Four Diamonds Fund. The lion is doing the diamond to represent the four pillars of the fund, Wisdom, Courage, Honesty, and Strength.
THANKS PEREZ FOR FEATURING US!!!!!!
For the kids!!!!
Re: rejco100 – Where in the world do you get your information? The money goes to the following:
"Since 1977, The Four Diamonds Fund has been THON’s sole beneficiary. The mission of The Fund is to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children treated at Penn State Children’s Hospital and their families through superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research.
Any family with a child being treated for pediatric cancer at Penn State Children’s Hospital is automatically eligible for support.
The Fund offsets the cost of treatment that insurance does not cover, as well as expenses that may disrupt the welfare of the child, such as car repairs, rent, or household utilities. The Fund supports the medical team that cares for the children and funds pediatric cancer research through start-up grants and the Four Diamonds Pediatric Cancer Research Institute."
Re: CriticalMind – I'll try to reply w/o falling into your category of "flaming" … Penn State commits significant resources to running THON, including professional fundraising staff, facilities staff and costs, direct mail & phone solicitations, etc. Do some research and you'll see that 5% is an outstanding cost of operations for any non-profit.
THON '95-'98
FTK
Re: CriticalMind – posh office space? this is a student-run philanthropy. i'm confused as to how this money goes to overhead… The four diamonds fund works to provide support for children diagnosed with cancer and their families. So if you want to say that their parents don't have cancer, then yes I suppose you're correct.
Re: CriticalMind – you couldn't possibly understand the meaning of THON if you've never been there or been a part of something so monumental for so many families. don't throw out accusations of conspiracy if you don't even know what youre talking about
Re: TimLee – it's not a bear it's a nittany lion and it's the 4 diamonds sign… grow up!
Re: CriticalMind – Understandably, many people like to know where the money the donate goes. That is way this year THON has made its best effort to become more transparent. Take a look at THON.org t see the breakdown of where all of the money goes.
THON is unique in that it operates at about 5% of total donation. By philanthropic standards, that is superb, if not unheard of. THON can operate this way because of the enormous ranks of student volunteers. On any given year, 15,000 student volunteers work to make THON a success. Additionally, we have committees of students who work year round to procure donations ranging from plastic silverware to paper. These donations are housed in various storage around campus.
The committees of THON work out of a small, two room office on the second floor of the HUB, the central student building on campus. Because of technological advances and the flexibility of students, THON is able to operate efficiently in a small space.
I encourage everyone with questions about THON or the Four Diamonds Fund to visit THON.org and consider donating to this amazing cause. FTK.
Thank you so much for featuring Thon. We are…..Penn State! Good luck to this year's dancers!
Re: juls2655 – i heard about ppl emailing him for years too but at least its press. no matter what his reasons are for posting it, its a great cause and more ppl will learn about thon because of this post. thanks perez!
THON is truely an incredible event that shows the true meaning of love and commitment. Being involved in it for the 4 years I was at Penn State I can say it is a life changing experience and the Four Diamonds families appreciate and value its worth in so many ways. The millions of dollars that have been raised have given these kids the best care they can recieve during their cancer treatments and the Hershey Medical Center relies on this money to update their facilities as necessary to continue on a path in beating this horrific diagnoses. Keep it up Penn Stateee, your efforts are phenomenal! FOR THE KIDS! put your diamonds in the sky
thank you so much PEREZ!!! i think you awesome and its great to see your appreciation for a charity where kids are helping kids.. THON is amazing!!
WE ARE.. PENN STATE
THON is truly amazing. You can't even fully understand it without actually experiencing the weekend for yourself. I'm thrilled to see this positive press and I'm hoping more will donate! FTK! Thanks Perez!
perez i read your site everyday but this is the first time i have ever felt the need to comment! thank you soo much for posting about thon… i love you even more now! it is an amazing cause FTK
Thank you sooooooo much, Perez. As a mom of a child who has benefited from the students at Penn State and the Four Diamonds Fund, I truly appreciate your shout out. Just one more thing you've done to make YOUR mom proud, I'm sure. Much love to ya. FTK!!!!!!
I am an alumnae of PSU and I think its so amazing the press THON is finally getting no matter who its from. For those of you who have not a clue what the school or even more importantly what the students do for this amazing cause, you really need to read up on it. These students spend most of their year raising money, they unlike other college students who are out drinking and tailgating are getting up in the morning, going away several weekends to go and can and raise awareness and try to get as much money as possible for these kids. It truly is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. I never danced but have participated on different comittees. These students are truly an inspiration and I hope people can keep their negative opinions to themselves until you truly see what an amazing thing is going on here. I can only hope the press keeps on coming and more and more people in this country learn about the Four Diamonds Fund and makes donations!!! Keep them coming, LETS GO STATE (GO AXO you girls rock!!!)….ALWAYS FTK!!!
I like that illuminati pyramid he's holding up in the picture.
K so the Nittany Lion is not throwing up a triangle… its a diamond and its FOR THE KIDS!!
thanks perez for Supporting THON!!
WE ARE…PENN STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love this. Thanks Perez for posting and spreading the word about such a wonderful cause…
go state beat cancer!!
Re: TimLee – it's the 4 diamonds sign
Thank you so much for posting this! Thousands of us Penn Staters have stood in the freezing rain and snow so that we could help families that have been affected by pediatric cancer. Best of luck to the dancers this year! FTK! We Are…Penn State
Re: juls2655 – LOL…"blatent"…Really? Way to represent. So besides flaming Perez because he didn't highlight this before and parroting the "company line" from PSU, you can't even put a sentence together! Maybe you should crack a book while you're in Happy Valley. You might not be wasting so much of your parents money if you spent less time practicing your beer pong and hanging out at Pickles. Sorry sweetie, but I am very much a Nittany Lion.
Re: Redhat – I know you're trying, but you really miss the point. Don't get THON & 4 Diamonds confused. Penn State's incurred costs due to administering THON cannot vary by funds received. If Khloe Kardashian(sp?) matches all funds, as someone claimed above, how do PSU's costs double? Plus, if PSU is recouping their costs, what are they giving?
I have checked the sites. I also check 4 Diamonds. All the money does NOT go directly to families. According to 4 Diamonds own Annual Report, 4.2% of the funds they receive, not the amount THON raises, goes to "Patient/Family Support". That's slightly less than "all". THON raised $7MM, and families got $1.2MM. Where did the rest go? To new buildings at the PSU's Hershey Medical Center, to "Patient Care Providers", i.e. employee salaries, Administrative Expenses. 28.2% went to "Future Funds"…that means they put it in the bank. If you have a business background, you know you don't just put money in the bank. You put it to work.
My point in all of this is not that students shouldn't raise money to fight pediatric cancer. Hell I went to Penn State because I saw "Something for Joey" as a child. I've been raising funds for the LLS since.
My point is that while you're there getting a world class education employ a little critical thinking. Ask questions. Don't be like that little bimbo flaming anyone that doesn't meet her fanatical level of devotion to THON.
I just want to say thank you Perez for taking your time to blog about one of the most monumental organizations in the world; as a fellow Penn State student, I see how hard the THON group members work every year and it's such a blessing to be able to attend this event and be involved with the children that THON cares for each and every year. The hard work and year long dedication really pays off. I recommend making an appearance to THON because it's truly a life changing experience. Again, thank you so much for your generosity and for your support! FTK!
Oh CriticalMind……what would we do without assholes like you in the world.
THON ON STATE!!
Re: CriticalMind – it's sad that you try to minimize the efforts of Penn State Students. That 5% that Penn State keeps goes towards things such as gifts to major corporate donors. THON isn't all it's said to be? Why don't you say that to a 4 Diamonds family and see what they think. Something tells me you have never been a part of THON, you've probably never even attended. But then again, I can't blame you. It's hard to understand what is unfamiliar. THON is inexplicable, you will never understand it's magnitude until you're a part of it. How about you try to make it out to THON '10, sit in during family hour maybe? If you can do that and still believe that THON is in no way a worthy cause I pity you. There is nothing wrong with critical thinking, but to not feel sympathy towards these families or the urge to want to help, that's just sad. Think about what that says about you as a person.