Over the years, the mission of THON™ has spread beyond Penn State’s walls. The impact that THON has continues to grow, and the next generations of Penn Staters seem to be born with a love for THON. Tracy Hollida, class of 1996, and Ella Hollida, class of 2026, have created a family tradition for the mission of THON.
When she attended Penn State, Tracy danced representing the American Society of Civil Engineers. She loved her time being involved in THON so much that she wanted to share it with her daughter. As soon as Ella decided to attend Penn State, Tracy encouraged her to get involved in THON. “It was just an amazing experience, and I wanted her to experience it too,” she says.
This encouragement led Ella to join a THON OPPerations committee in both her sophomore and junior years. Her senior year, Ella joined the lottery of Independent Dancer Couples hoping for a spot to dance at THON 2026. Ella did many unique fundraisers to raise money for THON 2026, including a breakfast fundraiser to help students manage the stress of finals week. She spent countless hours reaching out to potential donors and spreading the mission of THON as far as possible. Through her fundraising, Ella found that the Penn State THON community was far greater than she imagined. “The alumni [network] from Penn State are just so large that you never know who’s gone here or who was involved in THON themselves,” Ella said.
The experience of dancing in THON is a one-in-a-lifetime experience, and Tracy has been able to relive the passion and excitement through Ella. Ella and her partner Christine were chosen to dance in THON 2026, and Tracy plans to come support her daughter through 46 hours on her feet. Ella has always loved Slides of Strength, which was a highlight as an OPP committee member. This year, she gets to experience it as a dancer!
Tracy’s favorite memory to look back on is one special interaction with a Four Diamonds child. While Tracy was struggling, wanting to sit down and give up, a child came up to her and said, “you’re doing amazing! Keep going!” Tracy took these words to heart and used them as motivation throughout the weekend.
The love for THON stays for a lifetime, and many lucky Penn Staters have passed that passion onto their children. As the legacy of THON continues to grow, look out for Ella and Tracy at THON 2026 and continue to spread the mission until we are dancing in celebration of a cure!
To ensure that THON is able to donate 96 cents of every dollar raised to Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Golisano 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.
