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UNIVERSITY PARK — Sara Kielbasa was feeling the pain early Sunday morning. She had been standing, and dancing, for 35 hours.
Then, a young girl made her day. Kielbasa, of Avoca, had a “Frozen” coloring book with her and the little girl swiped it and from her.
That’s one of the reasons Kielbasa, a senior student at Penn State, made it through Penn State’s THON Weekend.
“It was early Sunday morning,” she said. “I was kind of a little tired and down. I had a ‘Frozen’ coloring book. This little THON girl came up and ripped it out. I told her she could keep it. I gave her my crayons, as well. It was just reminder of how and why we were here.”
The 2015 Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, otherwise known as THON, was held last weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University. After 46 hours of dancing, the students learned that $13,026,653.23 had been raised throughout the year.
THON is a year-long fundraising campaign for the fight against pediatric cancer. Money raised is donated to the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey.
During the year, student organizations across the state and country make contributions to THON. Students from the Penn State campuses set up canning drives, as well. Since THON’s inception in 1973, the donation total has hit more than $127 million.
This year marks the first time since 2004 that THON, which carried the theme of Empower the Dreamers this year, raised less money than the previous year. Last year’s total was $13,343,517.33.
A 2011 graduate of Pittston Area, Kielbasa got to the dance floor through her organization, the National Speech Language Hearing Organization. She’s been involved with THON since she was a freshman and always attended as a spectator.
This year was different, however as Kielbasa interacted with THON families and new friends throughout the weekend.
“We started off strong,” she said. “I had some moments where my feet started to go and all that. It was really great. I met a bunch of new people and THON families.”
Kielbasa’s family visited the Penn State campus for THON, as well.
But being on the dance floor isn’t all fun and games. Forty-six hours is a long time. THON, however, makes life a little easier for the dancers. Approximately seven meals were prepared for the dancers, Kielbasa said. Also, unlimited water and Gatorade were available.
“We got mail calls where friends and family would send us packages,” she said. “Some of the THON families have written letters. That kept us going.
“It’s what helps us keep going and why we do this,” she added. “If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t work so hard.”
The event began at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 and culminated with the fundraising total revealed at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22. Throughout the event, numerous activities were available for dancers, including live music and appearances from household names, such as Penn State football coach James Franklin.
During the final hours of the event, Kielbasa and the other dancers — more than 700 of them — listened to THON families and watched a video of former THON beneficiaries tell their stories. That was one of the most emotional parts, she said.
The final four hours are the most emotional, Kielbasa said. However, in the final hour, things get going in a big way. The band Go-Go Gadget performed for nearly an hour while the 15,000 people in attendance jumped up and down.
“It’s crazy, especially when the big bands pump you up,” Kielbasa said. “It’s amazing to have so many people doing the same thing. I’ll never forget it.”