Written By: Kaitlyn Casciato, Avelyn Lockard, Helen Koch, Sarah Buttikofer, and Shannon McDonough
THON™ hosted their annual showcase on Sunday, February 1st in the Schwab Auditorium. With THON Weekend in less than a month, this event drew an abundance of students, volunteers, and citizens in the community. An astonishing number of 13 teams showcased their talent on stage in efforts to earn an additional performance slot at THON 2026 and receive crediting funds to their organization, committee, or IDC.
The judges for the event were Ben Roitman, the Executive Director of Penn State THON, Ellie Sheehan, the PSU Blue Band Drum Major, and The Fleagle Family, featuring Braden, Easton, Troy, Alison, and Darin.
The showcase allowed many enthusiastic performers to display what they had been working hard for over the past few months. Trending music was playing loud, but even louder was the crowd in awe of the community’s talent. First place was awarded to Whiplash, an all-female hip-hop dance group, who received $3,000 in crediting funds.
Runner-ups included Orchesis (second place), Volé (third place), Urban Dance Troupe (fourth place), and Tapestry (fifth place). These groups were awarded $2,000, $1,000, $400, and $250 in crediting funds, respectively.
THON Weekend is filled with a variety of talented performers of all kinds, including singers, dancers, and more. In just a couple weeks, these performers will be on stage in the Bryce Jordan Center, supporting THON’s mission and their Penn State community.
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.
