More Than a Hat: The Story Behind Atlas’ Pink Fuzzy Tradition

Among the thousands of students who fill the stands of the Bryce Jordan Center, one organization is hard to miss. For Atlas, all it takes is a pop of pink. 

One of Penn State’s special interest organizations, Atlas, is known across the campus for its iconic pink fuzzy hats. You can find these hats worn during THON™ Weekend, at the involvement fair, during baseball games and everywhere else in between. But these hats are so much more than accessories. These hats are a tribute to Victoria, Atlas’ first THON child, who recently passed away this summer. For over two decades, Victoria and her family have grown their relationship with Atlas and their organization.

Atlas has been fundraising for THON since 2005. Brandi Carmack, Primary Chair for Atlas Benefiting THON, discusses how, as a special interest organization, Atlas works year-round to fundraise toward one goal. 

“THON is like our main priority, it’s all we do,” Brandi said. 

Atlas members are an incredibly dedicated part of the THON community. For the past five years, Atlas has been the top fundraising special interest organization. For Mel McDonald, Atlas’ Family Relations Chair, seeing the total last year was “such an adrenaline rush,” and a reflection of how much hard work everyone contributes for Victoria and her family. 

“What makes Atlas special is the people in it,” Mel said. “Every single member is like a ride or die, and Atlas is like their life.”

In Jan. 2006, Atlas was paired with its first THON family: Victoria’s family. More than 20 years later, that relationship has blossomed far beyond fundraising. Victoria’s family lives in State College, so they’ve become “a lot of people’s second parents,” Brandi said. Atlas members spend time with Victoria’s family during dinners at their home and during game days, and the family looks out for the students who join Atlas. 

This relationship has grown with generations of Atlas members. At Victoria’s funeral this summer, Brandi said, a former Family Relations Chair who led the organization thanked current Atlas members for keeping the bond strong. “We were kind of their kids, too,” Brandi said.

Who would have thought that a lighthearted joke would turn the pink fuzzy hats into a significant symbol for Atlas? During Victoria’s family’s first THON in 2006, Victoria wasn’t able to attend in-person due to medical reasons, so the family watched from home on the livestream. With thousands of dancers and students in the stands, they couldn’t find Atlas members, who were wearing hunter green T-shirts that blended into the crowd. 

Victoria’s mom, Steph, joked that members should wear pink fuzzy hats to stand out better. Victoria wore her own blue fuzzy hat frequently, and pink was her favorite color. “Steph didn’t expect anyone to take her seriously,” Mel said. She recalled a video where Steph didn’t think college students would want to mess up their hair or wear the fuzzy hats all the time. 

The next year at THON 2007, Atlas filled the Bryce Jordan Center with pink fuzzy hats, and they’ve remained the organization’s signature style ever since.

Throughout the years, the hats have become a way for Atlas to stand out and stay connected. “There’s thousands of kids at Penn State, so many organizations, and you can kind of get lost in it, especially as a freshman,” Mel said. “But the pink fuzzy hats do make us stand out.” 

As the organization has grown, with more families being paired and more members joining, the pink fuzzy hats have remained. 

“It’s a symbol of our families,” Brandi said. “It reminds us that our families are at the center of everything we do.”

This past summer, members and alumni across the country gathered for Victoria’s funeral. Many wore their pink fuzzy hats, and Victoria was buried with hers. 

“It was just really special to see all of these members and alumni who came from all over,” Brandi said. “You really see how much Victoria brought us together, and how much she really was loved, and how much she loved everybody else.”

This year, Atlas’s merchandise includes the words “in memory of Victoria.” Mel talked about how the hats feel even more meaningful now. 

“Every time, we’re wearing them for her, we’re wearing them for Victoria and her family.”

Members who join Atlas in the future won’t have the privilege of meeting Victoria, but Atlas members say that her story will continue to shape and strengthen the organization. 

“They can learn her story, and they can learn about the pink fuzzy hats, and they’ll wear them for her even without that personal bond that a lot of us have,” Mel said. “It speaks a lot about how caring our members are and how important our families are to them.”

What started as a simple joke has become a tradition. Now, it’s a promise: wherever Atlas goes, Victoria goes with them. She is in the pink fuzzy hats, in the words stitched onto Atlas’s merchandise, and in the hearts of the members, past, current, and future.