Dancing for a Cure at THON!

By: Marissa Miczek

2025 THON weekend is LIVE at Bryce Jordan Center in Penn State's University Park from February 21st to 23rd. Click here to watch captivating live performances and hear inspiring stories from the Four Diamonds families. This 46-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon is the world’s largest student-run philanthropy, raising money for Four Diamonds, which supports children battling cancer. Last year, THON raised a record-breaking $16.9 million, and this year’s event is expected to be just as impactful. The fundraising year officially started on July 1, 2024, leading up to this weekend’s celebration For The Kids (FTK). If you want to learn more about THON history, click here!

Can you imagine standing on your feet with no sleep for 46 hours? That's what the more than 700 dancers do to support children battling cancer and raise money for Four Diamonds. Besides the wonderful dancers, there are around 16,500 attendees including volunteers and the 16 different committees that help make this event possible. Committees like Leah & Sophia's Entertainment Committee brainstorm ways to get spectators involved while ensuring everyone has a fabulous time. Volunteers and Committees take shifts to get some sleep and both spectators and families are welcome to come or leave whenever they would like.

It's only 40 days until one of GVHS's most impactful annual event—Mini-THON. THON, which began at Penn State in 1973, has raised millions of dollars for Four Diamonds, an organization that supports children battling cancer and their families. Mini-THON events, like the one hosted at GVHS, bring that same energy to high schools across the country, empowering students to make a difference. At GVHS, Mini-THON is more than just an event—it’s a movement. Students spend months fundraising through various efforts, from HOCO bake sales to "push weeks", all leading up to the big night. On event day, participants stand, dance, and engage in activities for hours, symbolizing their support for children who fight cancer every day.

The 15th annual dance marathon is on April 4th, 2025 from 1-10pm, and we would love for you to be a part of it! GVHS has raised over $700,000 since 2008, and we hope to surpass this year’s goal of $42,000! While open to all Garnet Valley High School students, you must sign-up on the donor drive, linked here, and raise at least $100 to attend. Every dollar raised goes toward research, treatments, and direct support for families affected by pediatric cancer. All students are encouraged to sign-up to not only raise money for the cause but enjoy this amazing event! You can leave class early, eat food, play in sports tournaments, go on moon bounces, win raffles, pie teachers, and best of all, support a great cause!

Even if you can't make it to the event, consider donating! All donations can be made on our Mini-THON 2025 page linked here. All you have to do is click on a fundraiser participant (e.g. Marissa Miczek ;)) and click on "Support Me". Feel free to reach out to me at marissamiczek@garnetvalley.org if you prefer to donate in another form like cash!

Learn more about THON with these links

• Learn more about how to attend here.

• Want to stay up to date on THON terms and themes from "A" to "Z"? Check out this article!

• Learn all about THON do's and don'ts in this article.