What to expect at Mini-THON
Amanda Willigerod
Staff Writer
[email protected]
So you might’ve heard of THON. The big Penn State student-run dance marathon where the entire university works all year to raise money for Four Diamonds in the fight against pediatric cancer.
You may, however, not know that we have our very own Mini-THON here at CV. If you’ve never been, there are a couple of things that you should expect.
First of all, expect to have loads of fun. CV Mini-THON is by far one of the most exciting nights of the year because students spend 12 hours at the school participating in
activities such as zumba, a dodgeball tournament, puppy room, 3v3 basketball tournament, spa room, and so much more!
This year’s Mini-THON is from March 8th at 7:00 PM and goes until March 9th at 7:00 AM. Students registration is open until 12:00 on the night of. VIP registration is also available for all dancers.
For only $40 more, dancers gain access to their own room where they can store their bags, eat food all night, hang out with the Man Pageant boys, and get some exclusive merchandise.
The Friday before Mini-THON there is a pep-rally at the end of the school day. During this pep rally the line dance is introduced, people who have chosen to donate their hair have it cut in front of the whole school, the drum line puts on a show, and there is a special performance
from THON Factor winners. The dome is filled from top to bottom with blue as Friday finishes out spirit week with a blue out.
The other spirit days are follows: Monday-Groutfit, Tuesday-70’s Day, Wednesday-Denim Day, Thursday-Tacky Tourist.
The night starts off with another pep-rally which hosts the infamous sports teams dance off. From there on out, each gym erupts with activities. The central schedule posted just outside the dome shows dancers what exactly is going on and where at any given time of the night. The
Eagle Lobby is home of “cafe hour” activities.
Every two hours the theme changes, and along with
it new activities are offered-from decorating cookies to live performances from Mini-THON Factor winners.
The dome hosts backyard games, zumba, and a rave. The health rooms have specialty activities such as a Super Smash Bros tournament. Dinner and breakfast are both
offered throughout the night with a wide variety of options to satisfy all dancers.
The night is closed out with yet another pep-rally where the line dance is run through one final time, the recap video is shown, and Family Hour takes place. During Family Hour, the children and their families come up on stage to talk about their stories.
Finally, the grand total is revealed, and the dome erupts in celebration. The money from this night is all donated to Four Diamonds, an organization dedicated to pediatric cancer treatment and research. Four Diamonds provides support to families with children battling pediatric cancer by paying for hospital bills, providing transportation/lodging, and offering other services such as music therapy to the children. This phenomenal cause is
reason enough to come to Mini-THON, but the excitement of the night is just an added benefit.
Whether you’ve never been to Mini-THON, or you’ve been three times already, it’s not something you’re going to want to miss.