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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! Hope From Coast 2 Coast had an amazing first year! 61 runners from across the country ran individually and in teams representing Christopher Millard’s Four Diamonds and together raised over $11,600 for THON! Congratulations and thank you to all who participated, donated, and supported this event FTK.
With thanks to all of our incredible fundraisers, we congratulate this year’s dancer who will represent DMAIG at THON 2017! This year’s dancer couples are…
Stephanie Wittig and Amanda Unger Ashley Edwards and Sarah Krisher During this year’s fundraising season, our potential DMAIG dancers cumulatively raised over $45,000! We’re so incredibly proud of each and every dancer couple who vied for a spot this year, and we’re grateful for your hard work. In the coming weeks, check back here for information about how to write them a dancer letter or two. We’ll also post their dancer numbers so you can find them on the floor and and cheer them on as our alumni THON dancer representatives. DMAIG is excited to introduce a brand new fundraiser, Hope From Coast 2 Coast, which will run during the weeks leading up to THON 2017. This event will consist 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 12–19. Participants can choose to run one of four distances, each of which represents one of Christopher Millard’s Four Diamonds: -The Courage Team will run or 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 135 miles, the 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 at www.crowdrise.com/HopeFromCoast2Coast 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 Darla Zecchin at hope@dmaig.org Note: This blog post was provided by Four Diamonds.
Four Diamonds is encouraging supporters to give hope this holiday season, and Fundraise Your Way FTK®. It’s as easy as clicking on the link below, creating a page, sharing your personal story and asking your friends and family to support you. Honor or memorialize someone you love who has been affected by childhood cancer. You could even take on feats of strength as part of your New Year’s Resolution, or organize your own unique event, like a 5K or a casual day at work. If you have questions on how to get started with your Fundraise Your Way FTK® campaign, please email Katie Anderson at kanderson11@hmc.psu.edu or call 717-531-6086. About Four Diamonds: Four Diamonds’ mission 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. Over the past 44 years, Four Diamonds has helped more than 3,700 children and families by covering 100 percent of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance. Four Diamonds also supports a diverse platform of childhood cancer research, seeking improved treatments and cures to benefit kids around the world. If you are a recent Penn State alumnus (defined by those who graduated between the years 2012 and 2016) – this message is for YOU! If you give back to the college or campus of your choice, your donation will be matched with a donation to THON via big time THON supporter, Ned Brokloff. It’s pretty simple: visit this link, select the Penn State college or campus of your choice, and make your donation. You can even credit a THON organization with your donation! You’ll simply follow instructions via email. We are so grateful for this opportunity and excited to see how much it grows. For The Glory, For The Kids! For more information and to donate, click here. On October 21, the Penn State Alumni Association honored twenty alumni groups and four individuals for their inspiring work. The PSAA Volunteer Awards Dinner is an opportunity to recognize exemplary service by affiliate groups and alumni who have contributed time, leadership, and talent on behalf of the Alumni Association and Penn State. And guess what, Dance Marathon AIG was among the 2016 awardees!
Mel Harris and Ashley Waters gladly accepted the Ned Brokloff Award for Alumni Association Affiliate Group Innovation on behalf of the AIG for our largest project, the DMAIG Mosaic. THON supporters have been uploading photos for the mosaic-turned-mural, sharing their THON and Penn State memories and creating an online interactive mosaic. The digital mosaic is currently being turned into a permanent fixture to display at the new THON Store in the HUB. The DMAIG Mosaic has raised over $44,000 for THON and includes more than 1,500 photos and stories to showcase the history of THON. We thank THON, PSAA, and Four Diamonds for their continued support for this project, and we thank and Mr. Ned Brokloff for sponsoring the award. What’s next for the DMAIG Mosaic? Stay tuned on our social channels for the latest details about our upcoming reveal at the THON Store! Did THON put you on a career path as a professional in the non-profit world, or are you an active volunteer fundraiser?
Whether you’re growing early in your career, considering a career change, or a lifelong longer who’s also dedicated to fundraising, learn more fundraising and leadership in Penn State’s all online, four-course post-baccalaureate Certificate in Philanthropic Leadership. To help benefit your nonprofit career or volunteer work, you’ll:
If you have a passion for philanthropy and want to hone your communications skills, increase critical thinking aptitude, and further develop leadership skills, contact program coordinator and lecturer Sophie Penney, PhD at (814) 863-6480 or swp@psu.edu and learn more here. Last week, Penn State alumnus Mark Stephens finished a 170-mile journey to raise funds and awareness for THON. Walking all the way from Bethesda, MD to State College, PA, this adventure was no small feat! We connected with Mark to ask him about his experience.
DMAIG: Tell us a bit about your Penn State background. When did you graduate, what did you study, etc. What is your previous history with THON and its cause? MS: My father taught at Penn State for 30 years, so PSU is truly part of my life experience. My wife and I met at Penn State and are true blue members of Nittany Nation. I graduated in ’86 with a degree in Liberal Arts and stayed for a Master’s in Exercise Science (‘89g). In the mid ’80’s, THON was in the White Building—Patty and I would stop in to see our friends but I was never particularly involved with THON at that point in time. Over the years, as THON grew, so did our interest in supporting THON. DMAIG: Your fundraiser is quite a unique one. What gave you the idea to walk 170 miles For The Kids? MS: I retired from the Navy this August. I recognized that I would likely need time to transition to a post-military career. Blending a transitional time (literally and figuratively) with supporting THON seemed like a natural fit. The walk was the culmination—I thought it would be a reasonable idea to try and contribute to PSU/THON while concurrently using the walk to reflect on things past and things to come. DMAIG: What suggestions do you have for other Penn State alumni who want to get involved in THON, either for the first time or as a continuation from their time as a student? MS: The student THON leaders have been fantastic. They are organized, enthusiastic and supportive. Any interested alumni would be well served to touch base with student leadership to brainstorm and bring ideas to fruition. DMAIG: What’s next for you after this now that you’ve arrived in State College? MS: I am thrilled to be taking a job with Penn State Health. The Penn State College of Medicine is involved in multiple innovations in medical education, one of them involving a unique and novel approach to medical school taking place here in State College. I can’t wait to join the team. Thanks Mark for taking some time to tell us about your experience, and thanks for your commitment to THON and Penn State! Your story is inspiring, and it is THON alumni and supporters like yourself who spread THON’s story far outside central PA. If you are interested in starting your own THON initiative, or want to know how you can get involved in your area, contact Corbin Reno, Alumni Events Director, at alumni.events@dmaig.org. |
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