THON™ Committee Spotlight – Hospitality
by Molly Ligon

Written By: Lucy Pearce + Leoni Siribandu

As THON Weekend 2023 approaches we are excited to spotlight some committees that help fundraise For The Kids®! This spotlight is going to focus on the Hospitality Committee.

The Hospitality Committee is an essential part of THON™! Throughout the year, Hospitality coordinates events with various outside businesses and restaurants in order to raise awareness and fundraise for THON. During THON Weekend, the Hospitality Committee is in charge of serving dancer meals, working concessions, and restocking food stations. 

Just as the Hospitality Committee is throughout THON Weekend, they operated the same way during the THON 5K powered by PNC Bank. They retrieved food donations from the State College area, served runners and families meals before and after the race, as well as having a water social prior to the event.

To gain a more personalized view of Hospitality, we interviewed Jordan Smith, a current Junior Committee Member on Hospitality. Outside of THON, her committee loves to engage in bonding activities. She says, “THON is all about getting to know your teams and developing relationships!”. In addition to developing bonds with committee members, Hospitality Committees get assigned PennPals each year. Jordan’s committee has not received their PennPal for this year, however, they are excited for when the opportunity comes!

Jordan’s Hospitality Committee has partnered with a few new restaurants this year. They rely on a lot of promotions with local businesses and hold events where a certain portion of their proceeds are donated to THON. In the last few years, her committee has started a mustache-growing competition! For all of November, committee members grow mustaches. The winner gets to have a certain amount of money added to their personal THON donor drive. 

Jordan has had amazing experiences on her THON Hospitality Committee. “We truly get to see all of the moving parts of THON from the families, to volunteers, and even just patrons enjoying the weekend,” Smith says. “Hospitality gets to help fuel the fight against childhood cancer, and it is a special group to be a part of!”.