Penn State DuBois dancers and community help raise more than $31,000 for THON

DuBOIS, Pa. — In what can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the four dancers who represented Penn State DuBois at THON — Amber Eberly, Gabby Horner, Veronica Mercurio and Paige Miller — have returned to campus after completing the 46-hour dance marathon at the Bryce Jordan Center. After being on their feet for that long, they got to rest a bit easier knowing that their efforts, along with the efforts of the THON committee and the campus community, raised more than $31,000 “For the Kids.”

Each year THON sees hundreds of students representing each of Penn State’s campuses stay on their feet without sleep for 46 hours, all to champion their cause. This year, more than 700 students danced and stood without sleep for 46 hours — from 6 p.m. Feb. 21 through 4 p.m. Feb. 23 — at the Bryce Jordan Center.

“It truly was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Miller. “There is truly nothing else like THON.”

For Miller, THON holds a special place in her heart.

“It means everything to me because I lost my mom to cancer back in 2019,” Miller said. “To be able to dance for my mom meant everything and more to me. I felt like her presence was there with me cheering from above. There were so many signs of her there, from us winning the color wars because her favorite color was purple, to the playing of her funeral song during the final four.”

Eberly echoed similar sentiments when reflecting on her THON experience.

“It was truly amazing and felt like something that you would dream about but never get to actually partake in yourself,” Eberly said. “I lost my friend Maddox Hyde to cancer in 2019, and to be able to dance for him for 46 hours meant a lot to me. Every moment throughout the 46 hours was so powerful and unforgettable. This experience has brought all four of us dancers closer and improved our friendships with each other. We were so lucky to have such a good support group made up of DuBois students and faculty in the stands cheering us on! I am so grateful to be able to say that I was one of the dancers for THON 2025.”

Horner also felt a special connection with THON on a personal level.

“It means a lot to me since I had childhood cancer myself,” Horner said. “It was such an incredible and emotional weekend, and it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There were some moments during the 46 hours that were challenging, but I just remembered that it’s all for the kids. I am so grateful that I got to be a dancer and represent Penn State DuBois! After everything, I am so much closer with all the dancers and everyone who came down to support us on the floor. I am so lucky that I got to have this experience with all these amazing people.”

In total, Penn State DuBois collected $31,045.50 in donations this year supporting the fight against pediatric cancer. This surpassed the campus goal by more than $6,000.

Throughout the year, students raise money with a variety of events. This includes bingo events, food fundraisers and the largest event, the annual hair auction. The hair auction sees individuals from the Penn State DuBois community agree to trim off, or in some cases buzz off, their hair depending on donations that are received from auction participants. This year, the hair auction had another record-setting night, raising more than $10,000 when all the donations were totaled.

The largest student-run philanthropy in the world, THON has raised more than $236 million for Four Diamonds since its inception in 1973. This year, THON raised more than $17.7 million, breaking the single-year fundraising record for the fourth consecutive year.

The event's sole beneficiary, and a leader in the fight against pediatric cancer, Four Diamonds fills in the funding gaps that insurance leaves for the patients it serves, enabling families to focus on caring for their child. Because of large donors like THON, Penn State Health Children's Hospital recruits world-class talent to continue innovative research, and to maintain and expand the state-of-the-art Children’s Hospital.

The THON committee at Penn State DuBois would like to encourage everyone to watch for their fundraising efforts for the next THON season to get started. Updates on upcoming events will be released in the near future.

Learn more about the dancers that represented Penn State DuBois at this year’s THON here.