By 2014 Legacy Awards Recipient and Elks Scholar Advisory Board Member Anji Radakrishnan
I had heard for months from the upperclassmen that THON weekend would be the most life-changing experience that I would have at Penn State. Even though my expectations were set so incredibly high, THON bypassed all of them. THON is a 46 hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon that raises money for the treatment of pediatric cancer. All of the funds go to the Four Diamonds Fund at Hershey Children’s Hospital. Each organization sponsors a THON child from a Four Diamonds family who has defeated or is battling cancer.
world.
Four Diamonds families and children come to THON every year in order to celebrate the beauty of life and have a chance to enjoy a normal weekend. We play with the kids, dance to music, and have water gun fights. Although students generally stay with their THON orgs during the weekend, we all share the same compassion and love for our children, especially those that are enduring the hardest struggles of their lives. During the final four hours before 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, the survivors and children came to the stage to tell their stories. They expressed immense gratitude for how Four Diamonds has changed their lives. I am incredibly blessed to be able to share in the pride that every Penn State student has—we raised $13,026,653.23 for the kids!
What causes are you passionate about on your campus? Comment below!
Anjithaa Radakrishnan
Elks Scholar Advisory Board Freshman Representative
Pennsylvania State University
Comments
Post a Comment