Written By: Casper Robieniek, Ellie Kairys, Kayla Wakeley, Shannon McDonough, Sarah Buttikofer
Each year during THON™, the Zeta Tau Alpha and Alpha Tau Omega Greek organizations collaborate to do something truly special For The Kids®! Alpha Tau Omega and Zeta Tau Alpha BenefitingTHON has been a top raising organization for the past three decades. These two organizations work hard every year in pursuit of a cure and the goal for THON 2026 is no different.
These organizations are paired with Four Diamonds families who they consistently check in with and plan events in support of them throughout the year. During this year’s THON 5K they spent their time trying out the fun events and games with one of their Four Diamonds families.
During the THON 5K, we caught up with three of the organization’s chairs–Riley, Carrick, and Mia–to understand what THON means to them. With hundreds of participants gathered at the Bryce Jordan Center, the energy was high yet, for these seniors, this moment represented the culmination of effort, planning, and years of meaningful connections. Being able to spend time with the families and kids at the 5K, Carrick reflected on how special this year is, “I felt like I’ve really had a connection. I felt like I finally got to really hang out with the families and be a part of it. And that personal connection has been very special to me.”
Riley shared a particularly personal connection to the cause, with her cousin being a Four Diamonds child who passed before she was born, “I’ve been involved in THON my entire life,” she explained, “so this has just been so amazing to continue it and then to be a chair… to be able to dance for forty-six hours this upcoming year is really, really, really exciting!” Mia echoed that same personal sentiment, experiencing the loss of someone to cancer. For her, THON means, “…another way to connect and help out a cause that means a lot to me.”
What’s striking about their perspectives is the emphasis on the impact of their collective work. Mia described it as, “…finally getting to be a senior, run our organization, and help make a difference in such a bigger way, it just means so much.” As these three seniors prepare for their final THON, they will forever carry the legacy of the special partnership that ZTA and ATO have. But more than that, they’ll carry the memories of families met, connections made, and lives touched along the way. That is what makes THON truly special. Every dancer, supporter and student has their own story, their own “why”, that brings them back together year after year.
To ensure that THON is able to donate 96 cents of every dollar raised to Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, we heavily rely on donor support. These donations provide us the resources to create endless memories for our Four Diamonds families & foster a deep love & connection to our mission for our volunteers through Pre-THON Events, alternative fundraisers, & THON Weekend.
