Gamma Chapter at Penn State has raised $100,000 over the course of the year to help families affected by pediatric cancer with various different fundraising events including the campus-wide event, THON.
THON is a 46-hour dance marathon each February that all fraternities and sororities on campus participate in. Brother Armend Berisha, Noble Ruler of Gamma Chapter, said the event involves everyone standing in the stands for 46 hours while select people are chosen from each organization to dance. The only stipulation is that no one can sit.
“We do something hard to show support for all those people who are going through cancer and doing something harder,” Brother Berisha said.
He said that each organization has one or two families that they sponsor through THON. The funds raised go toward the families and help them cover the medical expenses. Gamma Chapter sponsored a girl named Kiera Woods, who is now in remission and a freshman at Penn State.
Brother Berisha said THON is one of the largest events they participate in each year, but they also hold other fundraising events to raise money to go towards THON. A Bench-A-Thon is held, where they each take turns doing bench-presses to see how many each brother can do. This year they have raised $3,000 during their Bench-A-Thon.
The Chapter also holds a Pie Face event, where people can donate money to pie an AGR brother in the face. This event raised $1,500.
One other event the chapter holds is a Powder Puff Football game that they raised $474 with. The chapter holds several other events over the course of the year.
In 2023, the Penn State IFC and Panhellenic raised a total of more than $15 million for pediatric cancer, which is donated to Four Diamonds Fund, a charity founded by a young boy’s family who lost their son, Christopher Millard, to cancer.
“It’s super important to our entire community, and us especially,” Brother Berisha said.
He noted that some people who join the Greek community at Penn State often join for the experience of THON and to have the opportunity to support something bigger than themselves, which adds to the success of the annual fundraising event.
Brother Berisha said that one of the common sayings that is tied to the event is, “Why we THON,” which fits perfectly with the slogan of THON, “For the kids.”
“It’s true,” Brother Berisha said. “We do it so that more people can have their birthdays and so more people can experience the life they were meant to live.”
Gamma Chapter plans to continue fundraising each year to support those affected by pediatric cancer.
