|
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! 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. |
RSS Feed