 Mike Richardson, THON 1980 Overall Chair Held in the White Building, more than 300 couples participated in the 1980 version of THON, raising more than $86,000. Leading that charge was Overall Chair, Mike Richardson, ’81 Bus, who describes that role as “one of the proudest experiences I’ve had in my life.”
Fast forward: THON 2020 was held in the Bryce Jordan Center with more than 700 dancer couples, raising $11,696.942.38. Returning for the first time in 40 years, Richardson was back to see it. “As a dancer in 1979 and Overall Chair in 1980, I saw the early power of the event and the way it pulled the campus and individuals together around a common goal and effort. There was a purpose, and pride, when you were either involved or aware of THON,” Richardson said. “To see the growth and breadth of the event 40 years later only confirms what I experienced in those early years.”
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 Are you interested in continuing your involvement in THON?
Are you passionate about inspiring fellow alumni to take action in the fight against childhood cancer? If so, consider applying to join the Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group (DMAIG) Board of Directors. DMAIG is a Penn State Alumni Association chartered Alumni Interest Group. The Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group (DMAIG) leads a passionate community of alumni who create and promote opportunities to raise awareness, volunteer time, and provide philanthropic support to champion the efforts of THON. We are currently accepting applications for the Alumni Events Director, who is charged with uniting and inspiring fundraising events from THON alumni across the country and globe. Alumni Event Relations duties include:
Visit this link to learn more and to apply. Applications are due June 14, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. With any questions, please email secretary@dmaig.org. We’re so excited to announce the launch of the DMAIG Advocate Network! The DMAIG Advocate Network empowers THON alumni to build bridges in their communities, foster strong alumni connections, and create opportunities to grow support for THON across the nation. So many of our incredible alumni do this on a daily basis, with little to no support or recognition. It is time that we encourage and empower these individuals to continue to take action in the fight against childhood cancer, beyond their four years at Penn State. DMAIG Advocates will work in meaningful ways to raise awareness and resources to help conquer childhood cancer, and play a leadership role in engaging local alumni to actively join the fight. Below are just a few of the simple, yet effective, ways that advocates will support THON’s mission:
We’ve already begun reviewing and accepting individuals into the network. Charlie Shuman (HHD ‘18), pictured below, is excited to begin his term as a DMAIG Advocate. "I absolutely love sharing THON’s mission with my friends, so I figured why not share that excitement with other alumni and contribute more of my ideas to DMAIG and the entire THON community?” Charlie said. "The fight against childhood cancer isn't over, and I'm honored that I can continue to support these children and families as an alumnus." Interested in applying to continue the fight against childhood cancer? Apply here! Curious and have more questions about the network? Email DMAIG’s Donor Relations Director, Lauren Nelson, at donor.relations@dmaig.org.   Stephanie Galetta is a fifth year senior studying Kinesiology with a minor in Organizational Leadership. She’ll be graduating in May 2020 with her certification in Fundraising and Advancement as well.
Throughout her undergraduate career, her involvement in THON has remained steadfast. She began her THON efforts through Club Water Polo as a freshman. Growing closer and closer with Club Water Polo’s Four Diamonds Families, Steph decided that she wanted to contribute more to the organization for them and for all Four Diamonds families. As a sophomore, she made the huge leap to becoming one of Club Water Polo’s Primary Chairs -- meaning she would oversee all aspects of Club Water Polo’s THON involvement, including family interactions, fundraising efforts, and all logistics. In one year, Steph and her co-chair were able to increase Club Water Polo’s fundraising total by 48% allowing the organization to be in the Top 10 General Fundraising Organizations for THON 2018. To the THON Alumni Community,
Last week, THON, along with Penn State officials, made the decision to cancel all fundraising efforts that require traveling out of State College for the remainder of the THON 2019 fundraising window. This decision was made after careful consideration and due to 3 separate car accidents involving volunteers which occurred on fundraising trips earlier this year. While we recognize that this will affect student fundraising efforts, student safety is of the utmost importance. Your feedback is welcomed on this, and any other,decision affecting the THON community (email alumni.engagement@thon.org with your thoughts), but we ask you to join us in supporting the THON volunteers in their fundraising efforts, and the student leadership in making this difficult decision This decision makes alumni support more vital than ever. Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group leads a passionate community of alumni who create and promote opportunities to raise awareness, volunteer time, and provide philanthropic support to champion the efforts of THON. There are various ways to support this mission, and our hope is that alumni will rally around our student volunteers to do so. First, raise awareness. It's as simple as wearing a THON shirt or striking up a conversation with a co-worker. Use your social media channels to share messages of courage, wisdom, honesty and strength. Use your voice to garner excitement for the best weekend of the year. Second, volunteer time. Start a fundraiser in your town. Happy hours, local sporting events and raffles are the easiest ways to kick things off. Please reach out to DMAIG (president@dmaig.org) for tips and tricks to get this done, and register your event with THON for easy access to their logos, messaging and more. Finally, provide support to champion the efforts of THON. Our student volunteers invest so much time and effort every single year to put on this amazing, incredible, inspiring event. When it comes to fundraising, they'll need our help now more than ever. We encourage you to join our Hope From Coast to Coast virtual run fundraiser -- but there are plenty of other ways to get the job done. Here’s just a few ways … -Donate online at THON.org OR join THON Nation, a new fundraising platform that enables alumni, friends and supporters to create a DonorDrive fundraising page -Become a DMAIG Ambassador (see information below) -Use our Amazon Smiles account when you get your holiday shopping done -Find an event with your local PSAA chapter and find a tie-in to raise funds. -Participate in the THON Stamp Drive, and send stamps to the THON Office (227D HUB, University Park, PA 16802) – this helps to fund various initiatives while cutting down on internal costs Need more ideas? Feel free to reach out to us at alumni.events@dmaig.org. There are so many different ways to encourage fundraising, and we hope you'll join us in doing so. Stay updated on these initiatives and more by checking out the DMAIG and THON social media channels. We’re continuously inspired by our alumni volunteers, and we thank you for your continued support of DMAIG and THON. FTK, The DMAIG Board of Director Become a DMAIG Ambassador NEW for THON 2019, the DMAIG Ambassador program empowers THON alumni to build bridges in their communities, fostering a strong alumni network and creating opportunities to grow support for THON across the nation. With the help of resources from DMAIG and THON, Ambassadors play a leadership role in engaging local alumni to join the fight against childhood cancer through planning fundraising events, interacting with local alumni chapters, and other outreach activities. Interested in becoming a DMAIG Ambassador for THON 2019? Visit www.dmaig.org or email Megan Osvath at donor.relations@dmaig.org to learn more! Join Hope From Coast to Coast Join alumni from around the world and participate in the third annual Hope from Coast 2 Coast Virtual fun! The event takes place the week leading up to THON (Feb 10-17, 2019). Our mission is to bridge the game between THON Weekend and alumni around the world to raise awareness and funds supporting THON in the fight to conquer childhood cancer. Click here for more info and register today! Interested in continuing to make a difference after you graduate? Want to Connect or reconnect to the cause? Join the DMAIG Board of Directors! For the 2018-2020 term we have 3 open positions, 2 Membership Directors and our Alumni Events Director! Position Descriptions can be found here and the application can be found here.
Any questions can be directed to Corbin Reno at alumni.events@dmaig.org DMAIG is excited to present the second annual Hope From Coast 2 Coast virtual fundraiser which will run during the week leading up to THON 2018. This event consists of a virtual run with fundraising options and different levels of participation, each based on running experience or personal preference.
Hope From Coast 2 Coast (HFC2C) will take place February 11–18, 2018. Participants can choose to run one of four distances, each of which represents one of Christopher Millard’s Four Diamonds:
For more information about the event or DMAIG, contact the Hope From Coast 2 Coast Director Autumn Ghigiarelli at hope@dmaig.org. Recently, fellow Penn State alum and author, Denise Kaminsky, was inspired to write a book combining two of our favorite things, the Nittany Lion and THON. Denise has written 5 children’s books involving our beloved Nittany Lion, this time the Lion’s travels took him to the BJC to see THON. Proceeds from the book go directly THON as her way of giving back. We were able to catch up with the author for a little Q&A that you can read below!
Q. Why did you decide to write this book? A. I am a retired Reading Specialist and third grade teacher. Since I am no longer working directly with children I decided to write for them to help them develop and improve their reading skills as well as enjoy reading about the adventures of the Nittany Lion. Q. How can someone purchase your book? A. My books are available through Mascot Books.com, Penn State Bookstores, BN.com, Amazon.com (shameless plug, use your Amazon Smile account benefitting DMAIG or THON and help even more!), and numerous businesses throughout PA and especially in the State College area. Q. What does THON mean for you? A. THON has a big place in my heart. I have worked with children in various capacities and have two healthy children of my own. I want to do what I can to help all children grow strong and healthy so they can succeed in life. Q. Have you been to THON? If so – what was it like? A. I was able to visit the BJC a few years ago during THON. I was totally impressed and felt the energy as the students danced. Tears came to my eyes as I felt the love that spread from the dancers, the supporters as well as the observers. It helped me want to do more. It inspired me to write NITTANY LION AND THON and donate the net proceeds to THON. I reached out to Michelle Kemper Brownlow, another alum, author and illustrator, and she donated her illustrations in the book as well, FTK. We are thankful for alums like Denise who continue to fight against pediatric cancer even after graduation. Grab a copy of her book for your kids, nieces, nephews, neighbors or anyone that wants to kick cancer to the curb! In case you missed it: Over 150 Alumni gathered at the Hintz Alumni Center on Saturday of THON weekend for an evening of mingling and hope. The DMAIG Board sincerely thanks the Chase Kemberling Family, Charles Millard, and Jay Paterno for their inspirational speeches during our Alumni Reception! During our reception, we honored JP Welliver as the 2017 Fundraiser of the Year for his “Pounding Pavement For The Kids” and Lori Kapes as Volunteer of the Year!
The Chase Kemberling family sharing their story of resiliency! Charles Millard speaking about the national impact of Penn State THON alumni! “It’s not just a Penn State tradition. It’s an American tradition. There’s nothing in the world like it.” Jay Paterno on the tradition of Penn State THON. “Take it upon yourself to make positive change, wherever you see fit.” ~JP Welliver HUGE congratulations to our THON 2017 DMAIG Alumni Dancers: Stephanie, Amanda, Sarah, and Ashley! These four awesome alumni stood for 46 hours all in pursuit of a cure. We also give a shoutout to Cara for her fundraising efforts and although she was unable to dance for us, we are so proud of her accomplishments!
During this year’s fundraising season, the five couples who fundraised to earn a dancer spot cumulatively raised nearly $50,000.00. We couldn’t be more proud of our alumni who worked incredibly hard in their fundraising efforts. Again, thank you and congrats to Stephanie, Amanda, Cara, Sarah, and Ashley! |
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