“No parent should ever have to hear the words, ‘your child has cancer.’” This phrase is often used by the THON community as inspiration — igniting the passion of why more than 16,500 student volunteers dedicate countless hours every year to the cause.

Stephanie Wittig, ‘11 Bus, believed in this mission. From dancing in THON and serving on a Dancer Relations Committee, Stephanie formed relationships with Four Diamonds kids and families and made lifelong memories as a Penn State student. 
​
But now, as a parent herself, this phrase takes on a new powerful meaning. 

We are excited to announce the creation of the Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group (DMAIG) Endowment for THON Alumni Engagement. Established with gifts from the group and matching funds from the Penn State Alumni Association, this is the first endowment of its kind, offering support to Penn State THON™ leaders every year in perpetuity. 
​
Learn more about the endowment at the link below or join our efforts by making a gift to support the endowment here. 

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.”

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:

• Coordinate with THON’s Alumni Engagement Director on yearly standard operating procedures and registration for all alumni events 
• Create awareness around DMAIG benefits for alumni events (i.e. press releases, social media support, PSAA and THON connectivity, etc.)
• Provide best practices, background, and experience as a resource for individuals, groups, chapters, and boards planning events
• Compile and maintain event data for tracking progress
• Connect alumni event leadership for “think tank” sessions
• Create and maintain informational placemat on how to start an event
• Develop and maintain policies for DMAIG sponsorship in lieu of local PSAA chapter support
• Coordinate communications amongst chapters, AIGs, commonwealth campuses, and individuals who wish to plan or have planned events in the past
• Collaborate with DMAIG Public Relations Director to advertise alumni events and write post-event recaps
• Develop policies for DMAIG Sponsorship and the placemat for how alumni can start an event.  

 
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: 

• Share DMAIG and THON posts on social media.
• Create an alumni online giving page to benefit THON and invite friends and family to give.
• Solicit your company for corporate matching, donation, or fundraiser. 
• Write dancer mail and kids mail for THON Weekend.
• Organize a Hope From Coast to Coast event in your local community.
• Plan and execute a THON Nation event. 

​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.

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:

• The Courage Team will fundraise or run/walk 1 mile.
• The Honesty Team will run or walk 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles.
• The Strength Team has the entire week to run 46 miles, as Penn State Dance Marathon dancers stand for 46 hours.
• The Wisdom Team will run 100 miles, the approximate distance between Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and Penn State University in University Park, PA. This distance will be completed as a team among friends and family, or participants can choose to be paired with fellow Penn State alumni from around the country.
  
  

To sign up for the fundraising event, every participant will need to create a fundraising page and select a team. Then, a DMAIG representative will email further instructions, a fundraising guide, and a link to a support group for all runners.

For more information about the event or DMAIG, contact the Hope From Coast 2 Coast Director Autumn Ghigiarelli at hope@dmaig.org.