THON
THON 2007 was Huge Success
HPA THON Child and Dancers From left to right (bottom row), Emily Kirsch, Aiyana, and Shane Flickinger, (top row) Leah Allen and Priyanka Biswas
Once again, the HPA/ACHE Club participated in the Penn State Dance Marathon. By going on canning trips and soliciting to family, friends, faculty, and alumni, the HPA students raised nearly $9,700, surpassing last year’s total by more than $1,000. Next year, the club is shooting for $10,000! Four dancers represented the HPA/ACHE Club during THON 2007. By raising the most money and being the most active in the THON committee, Leah Allen, Priyanka Biswas, Shane Flickinger, and Emily Kirsch earned the “opportunity” to stand on their feet and not sleep for 46 hours!
They all did an amazing job, and although times got tough, they kept going and made the club extremely proud. They have all recovered well and are looking forward to next year when Penn State can hopefully beat this year’s astonishing total of $5.2 million, all for the kids!
Another great part of THON 2007 was that the HPA/ACHE Club’s THON child, Aiyana and her family were able to participate. As you can imagine, playing with Aiyana and her siblings during the weekend was a highlight of THON for the dancers.
As it is never too early to start thinking about next year, the THON committee is working to develop a list of alumni who danced in THON, served on the THON committee or are interested in periodic THON updates. If you are interested in joining this list and receiving two or three email updates throughout the THON season, please contact Jocelyn Vanderbrink at jvanderbrink@psu.edu.
Some parting thoughts from the dancers:
“The last four hours make the first forty-two worth it. There is nothing like seeing how happy your family is when the total goes up,” Shane Flickinger.
“This experience would not have been as terrific if it were not for the support from my family, friends, the HPA Club and, of course, the kids! Everyone’s support made each hour more fun,” Priyanka Biswas.
“Sunday, 3 a.m. was rough, but once the kids came and the BJC filled up, you feel so much love and support. It made the end so much fun. The whole weekend was just unbelievable,” Emily Kirsch.
Article submitted by Felecia Williamson, 2007 THON co-chair.