Kelli Keane,
right, a member of the Lady Lion swimming and diving team, accepts a donation
for the Dance Marathon from the Livingston family of York, Pa. Keane and other
student-athletes were at The Bryce Jordan Center recently to raise money for
the Thon before a men's basketball game.
Photo: Greg Grieco
28th annual THON kicks off Friday
When
dancers take the floor at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, for Thon, the nation's largest
student-run philanthropy, they'll set off on a 48-hour mission, using the power
of dance to raise millions of dollars for families coping with pediatric cancers.
The 28th annual dance marathon runs through 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, in Recreation
Building on the University Park campus.
Last year Thon raised a record $2.5 million for the Four Diamonds Fund for cancer research and support of families with children being treated at the Children's Hospital of The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This year, with the number of dancers approaching 700, hopes are high for another success.
In addition to the usual music, dancing, speeches and videos, Thon 2000 will feature a stylish new attraction -- a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show. The company's Web site, http://www.Tommy.com/, will offer the Thon experience to supporters outside University Park as well. Through links from the site to the official Thon site http://www.thon.org/, Internet users will be able to make donations or view the marathon live online.
For more information, to make donations, or to view Thon live online, check the Thon Web site at http://www.thon.org/.