Special Events

The Special Events Committee, more commonly known as “SE,” possesses the power and capability of truly making THON a year-round philanthropy. The Special Events Committee is responsible for carrying on the spirit of THON through the THON 5K, Family Reunion Carnival, Road to THON Celebration, and several other events continuing into THON weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center. By planning and executing various fun-filled activities from start to finish throughout the year, SE Captains are sure to have the experience of a lifetime. These captains will work as a cohesive unit in order to carry out every detail associated with these events to ensure that every member of the THON community has a memorable experience. Whether a captain is the head of a specific event or task, accountable for drumming up new ideas and suggestions, or acting as a liaison to another committee, every SE Captain will serve there role as a critical member of the team and have fun while doing so!
For more information, questions, comments, or concerns, please contact Samantha O’Brien at special.events@thon.org.

Administrative Assistant / Communications Liaison (1)

This captain will work closely with the Special Events Overall by maintaining the responsibility of properly informing the Overall Special Events Committee and the Communications Overall Chairperson of important details regarding events and announcements specific to the committee. This person will be responsible for taking meeting notes, maintaining the ANGEL group, sending reminders and updates, and creating event descriptions specific to each of the THON listserves. This person will also help plan SE Fun Nights and social activities with other committees. Organization skills, flexibility, and attention to detail are necessary for this position.

Committee Relations Captain / Family Relations Liaison (1)

This captain will work alongside the other Committee Relations Captain in planning and executing all captain-related events including but not limited to the following: Captain Pictures, Captain Broomball Tournament, Field Day, and the Captain Formal. Organizing weekend retreats for the Overall Special Events Committee is another responsibility of the Committee Relations Captains. As the Family Relations Liaison, this captain will organize Special Visitor Trips and keep the Overall Special Events Committee informed on family news. Effective communication and organizational skills are necessary to this position.

Committee Relations Captain / Morale Liaison (1)

This captain will work alongside the other Committee Relations Captain in planning and executing all captain-related events including but not limited to the following: Captain Pictures, Captain Broomball Tournament, Field Day, and the Captain Formal. Organizing weekend retreats for the Overall Special Events Committee is another responsibility of the Committee Relations Captains. As the Morale Liaison, this captain will notify Morale of their role within various events. This person will also aid in creating Dancer Safety tips and awareness for the Special Events Committee during THON weekend. This captain will also be responsible for the Happy Quarters jar. Effective communication and organizational skills are necessary to this position.

Decorations / THON Museum Captains (4)

Each of these captains will run a Special Events committee throughout the year. With their committee, they will be responsible for the planning, creating, and promotion of the decorations for each event’s theme and purpose. They will also be responsible for the construction and execution of the THON Museum at several events throughout the year and in the Bryce Jordan Center THON weekend. The four captains will also work closely together to plan Maroon Shirt Orientation for their committee members. Each of these captains must demonstrate strong leadership, artistic, and organizational abilities.

Design / Merchandise Liaison / THON Magazine (2)

This captain pair will work closely in designing logos specific to events throughout the year for flyers and apparel. These two people will develop and order all gear specific to the Special Events committee throughout the year as well as correspond with the Merchandise Committee as it pertains to Special Events. Communication with the graphic design class for the THON Magazine is another large responsibility of these captains. Both captains should be creative, artistic, and have prior knowledge of graphic design.

Developmental / THON Celebration (2)

These two captains will work closely together in developing new events for THON and the Special Events Committee to further expand THON as a year-round philanthropy. In addition to this task, they will be responsible for the execution of THON Dodgeball, HUB LateNight Four Diamonds Movie, and THON Celebration during THON weekend. Previous experience with THON and event planning is beneficial. Someone who is creative and can think outside of the box is perfect for this position.

Entertainment / Public Relations Liaison (1)

This captain will be responsible for the overall promotion of all events throughout the year. This person will focus heavily on creating slideshows and videos in relation to activities throughout the year. This captain will maintain close contact with the Public Relations Photography captains and specific Entertainment captains in acquiring what they need specific to these visual presentations. This person will also be responsible for the needs of DJ Larry Moore, as well as providing feedback and suggestions in correlation with Entertainment acts for various events. Knowledge of Final Cut Pro and creativity are skills specific to this position

Family Carnival Captains (2)

The Family Carnival will be held on November 16th, 2008 and is an event where student volunteers and the Four Diamonds families get together for an exciting day of food, fun, and entertainment. The Family Carnival captains are responsible for planning of the event, the development of the theme, and management of the carnival booths. These captains must work closely together with other Special Events Captains, THON committees, and THON Chairs of student organizations in regards to their roles within the event. Effective communication, organization, and leadership experience are necessary for this position.

5K Captains (2)

The THON 5K will be held on October 26th, 2008 and is the first of many exciting events during the THON season. These captains are responsible for the planning and promotion of the event, organization of the registration process, and leading others on the day of the race. These captains must work closely together with other Special Events Captains, THON committees and volunteers, and the Penn State community in regards to their roles within the event. Leadership skills with an attention to detail are necessary for this position.

Floorplan and Logistics Captain / OPP and Rules & Regulations Liaison (1)

This captain will be responsible for the layout and logistics of all Special Events throughout the year. This person will also be responsible for the execution of set-up and tear-down plans of each event in coordination with OPPerations. This captain will also maintain responsibility for the safety and security of all Special Events in coordination with the Rules and Regulations committee. This person will benefit most by having prior knowledge of the execution of these events in the past.

Road to THON Celebration Captains (2)

The Road to THON Celebration will be held on January 29th, 2009 as an event that culminates the year’s hard work and prefaces the highly anticipated THON weekend to come. These captains will work closely with the Special Events Overall in deciding on meals, decorations, ticket sales, and timeline of the night. They will also assist in the creation and distribution of the invitations and answering any questions the student body has about the dinner. These captains must be available all day long on the date of the dinner. Organization, creativity, and attention to detail are essential to this position.

Supply Logistics / Hospitality Liaison (1)

This captain will work closely with Supply Logistics in requesting and distributing all supplies necessary for every event throughout the year. This person will also work with Hospitality on specific food requests for various events throughout the year. This person will work closely with the other Special Events Captains in organizing their requests and maintaining effective communication regarding the fulfillment of these items. This person should be extremely organized and have strong leadership skills.

Wigs for Kids Captains (2)

These two captains will work closely together to promote Wigs for Kids hair donations. They will be responsible for informing the THON community about the Wigs for Kids organization and encourage participation throughout the year. These two captains will develop the Wigs for Kids on-stage presentation for THON weekend from the application process through to the execution of the event altogether. They will also establish and maintain contact with local hair salons throughout the year. Prior Wigs for Kids or Locks of Love donors are encouraged to apply.