THON’s the only proof you need that Penn State is the best school in the country

Now that THON 2016 has finally come to a close this past weekend, we can take a look at the amazing weekend as a whole with a clear head and less tired legs.

The first thing that everyone talks about, and for good reason, is the total. This year, Penn State raised $9,770,332.32 for the Four Diamonds Fund. This is the second year in a row that the total hasn’t exceeded the year prior, with the total dropping from $13,343,517.33 in 2014, to $13,026,653.23 in 2015, to this year’s total.

From the outside looking in, many people can get caught up in the numbers and think about how the total wasn’t higher than previous years, but the bigger picture has to be looked at.

Almost $10 million was raised for pediatric cancer. $10 million. That number represents medical bills that never have to be paid for a struggling family, or for research so that no parent has to ever hear that their child has cancer.

I heard a lot of people at THON a little disappointed in the total, because we didn’t make as much as years past. But I thought to myself, “Think about what we just did for these families, and look at all the kids who are dealing with hardships that almost all of us have never endured, and look how happy they all are.” The smiles, the thank yous, and the tears that were shared this weekend made me think about what a special place Happy Valley is.

As a sophomore, this was my second experience at THON, and it only enhanced my love for this school. Before last year, I didn’t even know what THON was, or what it raised money for. I was blown away at the impact we made together as a school. That’s when I truly realized what this school is all about and why I made the best decision to come to the greatest institution in America.

Beyond the academics, or the athletics, THON is what defines our university. When we chant “We Are”, it’s not just a chant to get our football team hyped up before a big game, but it says look at us as a whole and as a community. To see over 15,000 students packed together in the BJC, you get a true sense of family and fulfillment.

Penn State has a “cultish” reputation around the country that our students are too infatuated with our brand, and you know what, we are, and for good reason too. Nowhere else in the country is another school doing what we did at THON in the manner that we did it. After that total was released at 4 p.m. I thought about how proud I was to be at Penn State, and how lucky I was to be involved with such a special event.

Almost everyone has been affected by cancer in some way, and what we did at THON attacks cancer head on. We may not see the affects of it first hand, but our children, and grandchildren will hopefully live in a generation where they don’t have to deal with horrible disease.

Thank you Penn State for giving me endless memories that I’ll never forgot from THON – it really has changed my life. We Are THON, and We Are Penn State.