THON 2022
Two weekends ago, was the best weekend of college. THON weekend. It’s hard for me to put into words what THON means to me (I attempted to in my most recent podcast episode). But truly, how do you describe something so beautiful in a only a few words?
Imagine watching 46,000 people come together for a common cause all year long. Imagine your stress, your everyday anxieties, your doubt about others, imagine them going away. Imagine seeing your college slow down for two days, only thinking of each other. Surrounding each other with support and comfort. Thousands of people’s hearts stripped down their most genuine forms of love. This is what I witnessed. I saw the good in the world. I saw what people can do when they come together.
Now obviously, to be frank, we didn’t cure cancer. There still isn’t a cure. It breaks my heart how many people are and have been affected by cancer. The fight isn’t over. I wish I could hug each and every person who experienced and experiences the heartbreak of this disease.
However, we gained hope. A whole lot of it. $13.7 million of hope, to be exact. We became closer to that cure. And for this, I’ll forever be grateful.
My experience of being a part of THON for four years, and being a dancer (standing awake for the full 46 hours) for the past two years, has been nothing short of life-changing. I can’t put into words how humbled and honored I am to have had these experiences. While it is the most physically challenging thing I’ve ever done, it was also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I am so proud of all those who have tackled the challenge and shown their support otherwise. I’ve never been so lucky to be a small part of Penn State.
So with this: I simply say thank you. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of a history-making 50th anniversary of THON. Thank you to those who supported me throughout my journey, in any capacity. THON brought me new peace and hope that I didn’t know was in me all along. And I’ll never forget it (I linked the recap video I made of the weekend below).
