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Hi Everyone! We are the Hoch family and we've been paired with Arnold Air Society (AAS) since 1994.

Our family includes Judy, Len, Katie, Carley, Kendall, Amy and Jeremy.

We are from Zionsville, PA and our first THON was in 1997. It's hard to pick just one favorite THON memory because we have so many favorites! But Our favorites are dancing together as a family and with our dancers during the last hours of THON!

Our son, Colby, had Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. It was a hard journey, but so many blessings came out of it. To be paired with AAS All of these years has made our family grow. The lifelong bonds that we have made with everyone are strong and everlasting.

Our family loves to go to music festivals and concerts. We love to go to the beach, and we enjoy kayaking and hiking together. We like exploring new places on vacation.

Our children grew up every year coming to THON. They have been going since they were babies. Canning weekends and visits from our Org have been some of our favorite times. We love meeting at Hersheypark for Halloween and Christmas, and meeting for dinner halfway.

This year with not being able to get together, our monthly zoom calls have been a godsend. It keeps us connected and I look forward to seeing everybody each month. We love seeing our Arnie family when they get commissioned one by one into the Air Force! I have enjoyed going to the Air Force Balls. I love when we stay in touch even beyond the four the years they are at Penn State. - Judy Hoch

When Colby was asked what he would do if the cancer came back he said "make new friends!"

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We are the Julia O'Toole family, and we are paired with Volé and Alpha Sigma Phi! Julia (11), Heather (mom), Chris (dad), Millie and Mollie (Maltese puppies) from Carlisle, PA.

Julia was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in the summer of 2019. She had 9 months of weekly chemotherapy and 6 weeks of daily radiation. She finished treatment on May 26, 2020 and has been cancer free since June 16, 2020!

Our family's favorite THON memory was dacing on stage for the talent show during thier first THON!

Our family loves to play with their Maltese puppies! They love everything Disney and love to dance!

Their family quote is: "If God only gives us as much as I can handle, he must think I'm a bada$$!"

The O'Toole family would love to say thank you to THON and everyone that supports this great effort. Families like ours are so lucky to have your support and compassion!

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Hi everyone! We are the William Sweger family and have been paired with Bee House since 2016 via the hospital and 2017 in-person.

Our family includes Derek, Amy, Leyna (17), Aaliyah (17), William (forever 12) and Denni (9). We are from Landisburg, PA and often spend time together just having fun. We play card or board games when we have the chance. In fact, just this past Christmas, some of our org’s members and our other THON family that we are paired with hopped on a Zoom call together to play holiday-themed Jeopardy!

William passed away from ALL on July 15, 2017, 4 days shy of his 13th birthday. William was an amazing light that continues to drive and inspire us to do better, to be better. We consider every single THON volunteer family, always.

It’s hard to just pick one memory, but our personal favorite was when our Org dancer asked to have something small of William's just to have on him while he danced that first THON after losing William. I, Amy, decided to let him wear my fish necklace that contains some of William's ashes. It helped our org dancers make it through the weekend and it made my heart happy to know that William was a part of THON, even if in spirit.

A favorite quote in our family is “Hold on to your knickers or buckle up, buttercup” hahaha

While we may have lost our son, we have since gained an amazing support system that we are forever grateful for :)

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Hello! We are the Fisher Family.  Our family includes Mark and Christy (parents), Gabe (19), Isaiah (17), and Gideon (12).  We are from Hummelstown, our family enjoys camping and soccer.  We are paired with Club Cross Country!

Gideon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2015, one day after his 7th birthday. He finished his 3 1/2 years of treatment in September 2018 and is currently 5 years cancer free.

Our first year being involved with THON was in 2016.  Our favorite THON memory is when Club XC brought THON to him when he wasn’t able to come to THON, because it shows the dedication and character of these amazing humans who THON.

A favorite quote in our family is, "Courage is not having the strength to go on, it’s going on when you don’t have the strength." -Theodore Roosevelt.

To all of the THON volunteers, you are the good in this world. Thank you for sharing your light and dedication with all of us!

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We are the Tyshawn Jennings Family and we're paired with PSUkulele!

Our family includes Jamillia (Mom,34), Timothy (Dad,35), and Tyshawn (Son,11). Our first THON was in 2019!

Tyshawn was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer in November of 2017. He spent a year in the hospital going through intense chemotherapy, stem cell rescue transplant, and radiation. He was very reconditioned and had to gain his strength back and relearn to eat and walk. After 6 months, he was determined to be just like he was before he started treatment and has done just that. He even now plays sports! Tyshawn now gets regular check ups but has been enjoying the past two and a half years!

Our family loves to be silly and enjoys watching movies! Our favorite THON memory is seeing how much everyone cares and seeing all of the kids having a blast on stage.

The family quote is "magic is inside of you!"

PSUkulele wants to tell our family how much we love and support them, even through these unprecedented times. You are the reason we THON and inspire us everyday with your incredible strength and constant giggles!

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Tom (Dad), Kari (Mom), and Emily (15).

Emily Whitehead was diagnosed with acute leukemia when she was 5 years old. She went through what felt like endless treatments until her parents, Tom and Kari, brought her to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a t-cell experimental treatment.

After a successful clinical trial, Emily became the first person in the world to have her immune system trained to fight cancer. She has been cancer-free ever since!

Emily is now in high school, doing all of her classes online from home in Philipsburg, PA. When she is not focused on her online classes, she is painting and drawing, or listening to music. Her favorite artists are SZA and Frank Ocean.

Emily also loves to travel. The Whiteheads have traveled all over the world to talk about their story. Emily’s top three places she has visited were Switzerland, Germany, and France while Tom’s were Sweden and Norway. So, you can imagine, the Whiteheads are looking forward to traveling again once this pandemic is over.

The Whiteheads have turned their story into a book that digs deep into every struggle they had to endure but also the little joys that came out of it all. It is called “Praying for Emily” and it is available on all major platforms like Amazon, Google Books, and Barnes & Noble.

Emily’s first THON was in 2011 and the Whiteheads have been paired with PRSSA for 10 years now. Her favorite part of THON every year is seeing the new line dance. Although we can’t all see it in person this year, the Whiteheads will certainly be watching!

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Nick's Family: Cara & Ashley

Hometown: Hershey, PA

First THON: 1992

Nick was diagnosed with ALL in July of 1991. He beat cancer but was left with the late effects that come from radiation and chemotherapy on a young body. In 2004 he succumbed to Bipolar disease and took his own life. Nick's little sister, Ashley went on to attend Penn State and gave back to THON as an FR/Comm Captain and Dancer. She danced for Phi Gamma Nu, our Adopt a Family organization since 1993. THON 2021 is our 29th and we are so thankful for every student, family, and supporter we have met along the way. FTK!

Family's favorite THON memory:
In the early '90s when THON was in the White Building we were one of 10 families participating. Since the family group was small, we had meals in Baby's and took over an arcade that was downtown (now Family Clothesline) - those two activities were a highlight of our Penn State time each February. "Bathroom Breaks" were a combination of not enough restroom facilities and today's slides of strength. As kids, Nick and Ashley loved playing in the baby powder to help the Morales (now Dancer Relations) massage each dancer that slid down the mats.

Family's favorite quote: "We fight for those who are in the battle, those who won the battle, and those whom a cure did not come soon enough."

Thank you students for your time and energy you dedicate to this cause. This year may look a little different, but the spirit of THON is still alive. Keep dancing so every cub can grow up to be a lion!

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We are the Jeremy Foust family. Our amazing organization we are paired with is Penn State Fayette ( our second family).

Jeremy was diagnosed with 3 forms of cancers over a 4 1/2 year period. Meduloblastoma, acute myodysplastic leukemia and finally glioblastoma, which he was not able to beat and past away 2 weeks before his 19th birthday in June 2009. Jeremy has two brothers Tyler and Zachary who carry on Jeremy's legacy.

Jeremy loved THON. It was as a weekend of fun and a time where he could forget life and just have fun. My favorite memory is watching Jeremy in the floor with the dancers and not wanting to come up to the stands because he was having too much fun. I also loved when his brother and Tyler performed a fencing demonstration on stage at THON. We are forever grateful to THON and the students for everything they have done for this organization.

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Our family is paired with FAYETE!

Our family includes Jay (stepdad), Melissa (mom), Emma (16), Eli (20), Ellie (20), Ashley (20), and Kristen (18).

We are from Greencastle, PA. Emma was diagnosed January 17, 2018 with B-cell-ALL.

THON 2019 was our first. Our family was paired with Fayette. They welcomed us into their family, and they make Emma feel special! Our family has now grown and we are truly blessed by each one of them.

Emma's favorite THON moment was meeting our THON family and seeing Daya in concert

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Tyler is 16 years old and his parents are Ray and Jen and he has two brothers, Ray and Gabe. Tyler plays soccer for his high school in Lancaster, PA!

Tyler would love to play soccer in college and is looking to come to PSU!

PGM, Professional Golf Management, is Tyler's paired org and we have been with him for  11 years! PGM has been apart of THON since 2006.

Tyler's favorite memory from THON when he was younger was shooting as many people as he could with a water gun. Now, his favorite part of THON is hanging out with the dancers and seeing the reveal!

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We are the Rowan Family and we have been paired with Alpha Phi Omega for the past few years. The Rowans consist of Marrianne (Mom), Michael (Dad), AJ, Alex, and Courageous Connor (who will be 6 years cancer free in a few months!), they are from York, PA. The Rowans love movies, hiking, playing tennis, swimming, and the three boys (AJ, Alex, and Connor) love gaming as well.

In December of 2014, Connor had experienced belly pain. After time in the ER and eventually being rushed to Hershey, Connor was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a form of liver cancer, at the age of 3.5. The Rowans constantly reminded themselves to take things one day at a time, and sometimes even one minute at a time. And after multiple surgeries and rounds of chemo, Connor was declared cancer free! One quote that the Rowans think about often says, "Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us." And that is THON.

The Rowans found a home in THON and in the Four Diamonds, with their favorite memories involving spending time with their paired orgs and dancing on stage with them during the talent show. While the memories of Connor's cancer are still fresh in the minds of Marrianne and Michael, they are truly thankful for the THON community because the positive memories that their boys are making with us are overtaking the painful ones of the past.

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We got paired with Phi Sigma Rho in the winter of 2017. More recently, we were also able to pair up with Alpha Phi Delta fraternity.

Mina was diagnosed with ALL on May 8th 2016. Her journey first started out CHOP but after some time, she switched to Hershey Medical Center. Soon after, we were able to pair with Phi Sigma Rho. After almost two years of treatment, Mina rang the bell on July 17th, 2019!!

Mina has many favorite THON memories but one of her favorites include being able to go to events with the sports teams. Her favorite sports to be with are the cheerleaders. Another favorite memory is Mina singing Frozen last year at the Talent Show.

The families hobbies include playing games, watching movies and bowling.

Favorite Quote- YOLO

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The Linder family is paired with Science LionPride (SLP), and they are from Manheim, PA. The family includes Matt (Dad), Amanda (Mom), Bradyn (11), and Makenna (6).

Makenna was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor when she was 3 years old, beating her cancer for the first time. However, in the fall of 2019, Makenna was diagnosed again with Rhabdomyosarcoma in her bladder, and after a year of treatment, she beat cancer again! The whole town of Manheim organized a parade to celebrate Makenna being cancer free. SLP is so grateful to be matched with such a strong princess warrior!

Makenna’s favorite THON memory is being a judge for the talent show and hanging with the Nittany Lion. Bradyn’s favorite THON memory is meeting Bo Nickal.

Makenna loves anything pink and princess related! Bradyn is passionate about wrestling and enjoys reading Harry Potter. The family loves to go camping together. The Linders’ favorite quote is “Trust in God and live one day at a time.”

SLP loves the Linders!!

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We are the Noll family and we were just recently paired with the Association of Pre-Professional Pediatric Specialists (APPS) in November 2020. This is our first THON!

Our family includes Kevin, Jennifer, Elijah (16), and Becca (14)! We are from Harrisburg, PA and are all very involved in our church. Elijah plays soccer and tennis, and hopes to become and engineer. Becca loves to sing and act and hopes to become a Child Life Specialist.

Becca was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2019 and has undergone her treatment while remaining strong and positive. Since July, Becca has been in the maintenance stage of her treatment!

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The Homan Family is currently paired with Tri-State and this year will be their 5th year participating in THON! Their family includes of Jacquie (mom), Neil (dad), Noella (10) and Declan (8). They are from Hanover, Pennsylvania and are so excited for THON 2021!

Declan was diagnosed with synovial cell sarcoma, a super rare cancer, at age 2, and then again at age 4. He had 2 major surgeries on his right hip area each time, totaling 4 surgeries. He is lucky enough to not even limp, and he is now 4 years cancer free!

The Homan’s favorite THON memory is everything from the first THON they attended. Declan had just had his last surgery and they had no idea what to expect. They were overwhelmed by all of the support and fun for the kids and had a great and memorable weekend!

The Homan’s are also big Penn State fans! They love attending basketball games and can't wait to get back in the BJC! They also love spending time together outside, and going on vacations.

The Homan’s love the support of the THON community and are grateful for all of the help their family has received!

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We are the Hohenadel Family and we are paired with Sigma Delta Tau and Kappa Sigma.

Our family consists of Allen Gettel, Lisa Gettel, Jared Gettel, Tyler Gettel, Tori Culp, and Nate Hohenadel.

Brandon Hohenadel was diagnosed with AML in Dec. 2012.  He fought like a lion for almost 4 yrs, but lost his battle in Oct. 2016.  Fly high our sweet boy.

Our favorite THON memory is the kick off.  Being in the gym with everyone while we anticipate the count down to the start of THON is an excitement you just can't explain.

A quote our family goes by is "Never give up". Thank you to all the students that have helped in any way to organize THON.  You are amazing.  For The Kids.

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We are the Tuckey Family, and we have been paired with HEAL since 2011! We are from Gardners, PA which is just north of Gettysburg.

Our family includes Nat and Kate (parents), Josh and Eli (twin brothers, 19) and Bekah (15). We are a very competitive crew! Bekah plays field hockey year-round and the boys wrestle at the collegiate level. Nat and Kate are constantly staying busy being their biggest fans!

Bekah was diagnosed with ALL on August 27, 2011. After only one year off treatment, we learned of her relapse in November 22, 2014.  This fall she will celebrate a huge milestone of 5 years off treatment and move to survivorship!

Our first THON was THON 2012. We have made so many memories over the years, but it was especially amazing to have the opportunity to share our story on stage at THON 2019. Our amazing org makes every THON memory, year-round, our favorite! We are so thankful for each and every volunteer and all the work you do FTK! A special thank you to all of our HEALroes, past and present, who have brought light and laughter to our lives.

To all of the THON community, always remember "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." -Rocky Balboa

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We are the Popje Family from Hummelstown, PA. This is our second THON! We are paired with Club Field Hockey. Our family consists of Daniel (2), Shannon (42), and Eric (52).

Daniel was diagnosed by family medicine based off a 9 month well check, at which point some fullness was felt on the right side. An ultrasound was ordered and done two weeks later. There was a softball size tumor found in his liver. There were 6 cycles of chemo and half of his liver was removed. We are still trying to figure the large fluctuations in his tumor markers, which provide a scare when they go up quite frequently and nobody has any answers for why.

Daniel is a fun loving little guy who loves playing with the water guns and bubbles at THON. Aside from THON, Daniel and his mom LOVE to run and adore all things Disney. It is their happy place! Daniel loves Dumbo, Wall-e, and Up.

A quote Daniel and his family like is "If you dream something more than once it’s sure to come true".

We thank everyone for everything you do concerning THON❤️

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We are the Creasy Family and we have been paired with Kappa Delta and Beta Sigma Beta since 2012! We are from Harrisburg, PA which is relatively close to Hershey, PA.

The Creasy Family consists of Amy (mom), Greg (dad),  Sam (big brother), and Charlotte (little sister), and Andy who has been cancer free for a couple of years now! Andy loves playing with legos and he is a Star Wars fanatic! As a family we like to travel.

In February of 2011, Andy had a wellness check-up where his pediatrician felt a small soft mass on Andy's lower abdomen. Andy was diagnosed with  Neuroblastoma, stage 4, high risk. His treatments included chemotherapy, surgery, tandem autologous stem-cell transplants, radiation, and immunotherapy.

The Four Diamonds Foundation has provided a lot of support and aid through Andy's journey. The Creasy's hope to one day give back as much as they have received form the Four Diamonds Fund. There are so many great THON memories that the family has experienced, but one that stands out is the annual KD&BSB family BBQ!

Favorite Quote: "You are Braver than you Believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."  Winnie the Pooh

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We are the Moore family and we have been paired with Kappa Delta and Beta Sigma Beta since 2016! We are from Greencastle, PA.

The Moore Family consists of Carrie (mom), Jerry (dad), Nathan (big brother), Ella (little sister), and Christopher who has been cancer free for a few years now! Christopher loves singing and participated in the kids talent show last THON. Chris loves playing video games and is a huge Legends of Zelda fan! (this inspired our theme for this year)

The Summer of 2015, Christopher exhibited some alarming symptoms. After taking some days to see if the symptoms would subside, it became undeniable that something serious was happening.  We visited the ER, quickly learned his diagnosis of leukemia and transported to Hershey Children's hospital.  Everything happened so quickly but with that came some amazing people which started with his oncologist who we grew to love. The next important person was Christopher's Child worker who filled us in on EVERYTHING THON. We immediately felt  huge load jump off of our shoulders, knowing we had a HUGE support system. We also grew super excited to attend our first THON. We had no idea what was really in store for us. Months leading up to THON, we got to meet some members of our orgs. When THON weekend finally came,  we were not prepared. It was the most overwhelming event we've every attended. The love and administration we have for this cause and our orgs and all other orgs who THON for children like Christopher, is as intense as the first step on the THON floor.

We have created so many great memories together. Our most favorite memory is playing with water guns on the THON floor and being able to interact with our dancers AND our ORG in the stands.

In our free time we love spending time in Baltimore, MD, which we do at least once a month.There's endless art, food, activities,  and people to encounter. Hopefully soon, we can expand our travels to other large cities of the US.

Favorite quote: Family is what it's all about but remember family isn't always blood and room can always be made.

The wilder and crazy, the better!!!!!

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We are the Krodel family and we have been paired with Silver Wings since 2016! We are from Glen Rock, PA.

Our family consists of April (mom) and Ryan (dad), Christian (son), Levi (son and 4D Child), and Allie (daughter and newest member of the family!).

Levi was diagnosed with stage 3 intermediate risk neuroblastoma at 8 months old. We are very thankful his treatment was only about 2 months long and was moved to survivorship in 2020!

Being in the floor with our dancers is by far our favorite thing. We love to support them and have so much fun playing games and having water gun battles. We also like to have family game nights and go camping!
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From the entire Silver Wings Organization, we would like to say how extremely proud we are of the Krodel family and our partnership. Levi and his family give ALL of us hope and energy on and off the floor at THON. We are extremely blessed to be apart of their lives and wouldn't trade it for the world!

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We are the Hess Family, and we were recently paired with HEAL just before THON 2020! We are from Newville, PA which is just north of Shippensburg.

Our family includes Ronald and Diane (parents), Hannah and Alex (brother and sister), Todd (partner), Caroline (daughter), and Kimberly. A fun fact about us is that we love to travel!

Kimberly was diagnosed with a rare live cancer. She received treatment at Hershey for about 2 years. Her junior year of high school she had her tumors surgically removed. She is now 12 years CANCER FREE!

Our first THON was THON 2008, and over the years, we have collected so many memories from the weekend. Our favorite memory is when Hannah and Kimberly sang in the talent show.  We love what you do! Keep dancing!

To the THON community, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

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Hello! We are the Heverly family! We are paired with Encore! We are from Lancaster, PA and attended our first THON in 2020.

Liam was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma when he was 2 ½ years old. He is now 17mo cancer free! He loves to go to school and attend his karate classes!

Liam’s favorite THON memories are having water fights with his Encore family and staying at the Nittany Lion Inn.

In the Heverly’s free time, they enjoy playing games and watching movies together.

“We love everyone and everything about THON!”

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We are the Zachary Shiffer family and we're paired with ServeState! We are from York, PA.

Our family consists of Erin (mom), Jason (dad), Zachary (13), Katelyn (11),and Allison (7)!
Some of our favorite hobbies include swimming, going camping, going to the beach and being outside.

Zachary was diagnosed in January 2016 with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). Zachary spent 6 months in the hospital receding chemo. Throughout the entire experience Zachary stayed positive and always found joy in each day. We are looking forward to July 7, 2021 when we can officially say he is CANCER FREE!

We attended our first THON in 2018 and our favorite THON memories are getting to play with the Blue Band and being with our org on the floor and in the stands!

A quote our family love is  'Always find the positive in each day.' We also wanted to say thank you to all the THON members for your dedication and drive to find a cure for childhood cancer!

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We are the Engel-Herbert Family and we are paired with GammAcacia! We are from Port Matilda/State College and our family consists of Paula (10), Emma (12), Mandy (Mom) and Roman (Dad).

When Paula was 17 months old she was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) and started treatment in Hershey right away. Several recurrences and treatments later, she is now 4 years off-treatment and enjoys the daily life of a normal 10-year old.

Our first THON was in 2013 and our favorite memory was seeing Paula and Emma perform on stage. However, every year we are blown away seeing so many dedicated volunteers come together in the fight against pediatric cancer.

We love the beach, traveling, visiting friends and family as well as movie nights with popcorn.

"We either find a way or make one." -Hannibal

GammAcacia loves the Engel-Herberts!

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We are the Ellen Smith family and we are paired with Hershey Kisses.

We are from Lewisberry, PA, and our first THON was in 2012.

Ellen got to experience THON three times. It easily became one of her favorite weekends to look forward to each year. Ellen passed away in 2015 but our family has continued participating in THON. We always feel her presence throughout our time at Penn State.

Ellen always had so much fun hanging in the stands with the Hershey Kisses. My favorite memory will always be looking up into the stands and seeing her dancing and laughing with her org.

4LN4EVR- For Ellen, Forever 💚

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We are the Haas family and are paired with ATΩ & ZTA!!! We are from York, PA and our family includes Chad, Lisa, Tucker (20) and Taylor (17).

First THON: 2004

Tucker was diagnosed in 2002 with an undifferentiated Sarcoma. He relapsed three times and battled for 7 years. He underwent many rounds of chemotherapy, many surgeries, a stem cell transplant, 77 rounds of radiation, and a trial study of oral chemotherapy. Although he continues to visits to the oncology team twice a year and takes daily medications, Tucker is now 14 years cancer free. Tucker is a sophomore at PSU and brother of our adopt a family organization ATΩ.

Our favorite THON memory is when Tucker sang Boom, Boom, Pow during the Kids Talent show in 2010. The BJC went wild!! Feeling the love and support that was surrounding him at that moment was indescribable. To know we weren't alone in our journey was truly breath taking!

In our free time our family loves to go on vacations to the beach and Disney world. We also like to attend sporting events together, go out to eat, and have family game nights.

Our favorite quote is "The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others" -Gandhi. Our family would like to thank the entire THON community, especially ATΩ and ZTA, for using your influence to help people like us, for being the silver lining for others and part of something bigger than yourself. Thank you for your unconditional love and support. We are forever grateful! FTK!

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We are the Tyler Miller family, and we are paired with Schreyer Honors College Student Council. We are from Elizabethville, PA and our family includes Tyler (19), Jana (Mom), Jason (Dad), Sean (step-dad), Kim (step-mom), and Nana and Pop. We love spending time outdoors, especially going camping!

Tyler was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic

Leukemia in December of 2011. As of 2015, he is officially cancer-free!!

Our first THON was in 2013 and it was incredible! We were so amazed by how friendly everyone was and how passionate everyone was about THON!

"Keep dancing for the kids!"

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We are the Musser Family and we have been paired with Tetra since 2020!

We are from Mount Gretna, PA and our family includes Kevin (Dad), Glenda (Mom), Olivia (8), Allyson (6) and Stella (3). We love being outdoors, going on hikes, walks, going fishing, biking and going on family trips together!

Our daughter, Ally, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma in March of 2018. Her cancer is really stubborn, but Ally continues to fight with bravery and strength! We just received some positive news after scans January 2021, the remaining spots on her skull and femur are looking “less conspicuous” since the ones done 3 months ago 🙌🏻🙌🏻! We are still considered “in treatment” and will continue to show this un-welcomed house guest that it has got to go!!

Our favorite THON memory was when the girls got the opportunity to meet the Penn State Football team last year and meeting other kiddos in the family lounge!

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” Hebrews 6:19
#allybrave

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We are the Schneider Family and we have been paired with Mont Alto since 2020! We are from York, PA.

Our family consists of Ed (dad), Lisa (mom), Eddie (brother), Bria (sister), and Mack (our angel). Mack was diagnosed with Leukemia in February 2009. She passed away later that month. After Mack passed, as a four diamonds family we were contacted by THON to speak, but it was too emotional for us to attend. We still wanted to keep Mack's spirit alive, so we created Mack Madness in her memory and raised over $340,000 for charity.  After 10 years, we held our last Mack Madness event and made the decision to move forward and connect with THON. Last year was an amazing experience on so many levels, and we look forward to participating and attending for years to come.

Our favorite 2020 THON memory was watching our daughter Bria dance in memory of her baby sister Mack.  The energy was electric!

We are a very close family and enjoy spending time together during the holidays, vacations, and weekend get togethers. Mack is ALWAYS with us and we occasionally get lady bugs from her dropping in to say hello, even in the middle of a lake on our first day of vacation!

We have many great memory's of Mack that put a smile on our face.  She loved ice cream and would go to the freezer and say "ice" or ask mom for "ice" from her frappe coffee she would get. She would also make us smile as she waived as the bus pulled away for preschool. Our favorite memory though is her beautiful smile that would light up a room anywhere she went!  We miss and think of her everyday but know she is watching over us and some day we will all be together again in Heaven!

Thanks for everything you've done for us, to keep Mack's spirit alive and FTK!

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Our family lives in Lancaster, PA. Our first THON was in 2009. Savannah was 5 years old and diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer called Hepatoblastoma. We had no idea what THON was. We kept hearing about it while Savannah was getting chemo treatments up at Penn State Health Childrens Hospital. Savannah's treatment plan ended up with her having 3 surgeries and spending about 10 days inpatient at hospital every month for about a year. We decided to attend that first THON despite all our worries about germs and so many people. So glad we did!! THON was exactly what our family needed!!! Savannah enjoyed being up on stage and on floor of BJC squirting PSU students with water guns. That first THON weekend gave us something so precious.....time together as a family and Savannah got to forget about all the medical stuff and just be a kid again!! As Savannah says all these years later....THON IS LOVE and our family definitely feels the love from all the Thon volunteers and Thon org members we have been paired with over the years from Pyramid, Thon Finance Committee, ACF Alliance Christian Fellowship and now Omega Chi Sigma. These org members keep in touch with our family all year long.  All these years later they are getting married and having children of their own. Some of our favorite THON memories are meeting Joe Paterno on stage of THON, bowling at Northland with our org members and Sundays of THON when GoGo Gadjet takes over the BJC!! That bands pours every ounce of their hearts and talents FTK!!! Savannah wants all THON volunteers to know how much your time and energy inspires us Four Diamonds Families too. Our family like many other Four Diamonds Families bleed blue and white too😍🤗😍 While cancer certainly sucks....THON has been our silver lining through it all. We cherish all the THON connections and hope to dance one day in celebration of a cure!! Thank you for supporting Four Diamonds Families like ours....Savannah is now CANCER FREE!!!😍🤗😍😊

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Hello! We are the McKenna Voss family, and we are paired with Club Sailing.

We are from Hanover, PA, and our beautiful family is made up of Eva (sister), Gus (baby sister), Branden (dad), Stephen (stepdad), and Mary (mom)!

We were paired with club Sailing in 2017, and had our first THON together in 2019 after McKenna beat cancer! Since then we have made many fun memories together.

We love the outdoors and camping. In 2019, we camped out in the state park where our club members practice and were joined by the Nittany Lion who spent the entire day with us!

Despite things being different this year, we still had a lot of fun through our virtual meetings and did many fun activities.

During Halloween, we had a costume contest and got to have fun with all our club members. Then we had a gingerbread house contest to celebrate Christmas with the guys!

In our free time, we live to watch movies, draw, and bake delicious cookies!

We are so happy to be able to be part of such a wonderful event like THON!

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Hello! We are the Mehalick family and we are paired with Club Volleyball! Our family consists of Makenzie (20), Maurice (14), Maliyah (10), Madison (8), and Nicole their mother. Our hometown is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Our first THON was in 2015.

Mackenzie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December of 2014. She completed three rounds of chemotherapy and in March of 2015 she was declared cancer free!

We love to go on the explorer program adventure.

In addition, we love to relax and enjoy spending time with family and friends.

"Through adversity comes strength"

We love everything that Penn State has done to help raise money for childhood cancer.  As a mother I love how all of the young adults have given my children all a chance to feel important after everything their sister has been through.  It wasn't just her going thru it, it was all of us.  Thank you for all your kindness.

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We are the Eliot Dean Family and we are paired with Penn State Abington! We are from Lancaster, PA and our family consists of Eliot, Muriel, Robert, Zulmarie, Maelis, Lucille, Jolan, Collin and Blue Jean (our Australian Shepard). We enjoy spending much time together by gardening, cooking, traveling and listening to music.

Eliot was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2016 after suffering from severe back pain. Eliot endured chemotherapy from October of 2016 to March of 2020. Though Eliot is no longer going through chemotherapy, he is still under care of specialists for an adverse effect of the chemotherapy called Avascular Necrosis or AVN.

Eliot attended his first THON in 2017. The support from the THON Community is overwhelming and the THON experience is nothing short of magical. When we hear the word "THON", it makes the word "cancer" seem less powerful because of the wonderful support we receive.

Our family's favorite quote is  "You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice." - Bob Marley

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We are the Stitzer Family and have attended THON since 2012. We have been paired with Tetra since 2017!

Our family consists of Austin (our angel) who was 9 when he lost his battle to cancer, Bruce (19), Christian (18) and Wendy (Mom). We live in Pleasant Gap, PA.

In our free time, we love to play video games and hangout with our org. We also love to hang out with family and friends. Our favorite THON memory was meeting our THON org for the first time and we also love the pep rally Go-Go Gadget.

Our angel, Austin, lost his battle to cancer on September 20, 2011. In December of 2011, Austin had a seizure and was taken to the hospital where they did a MRI and saw a tumor. After the biopsy of the tumor that came back as glioblastoma, he started radiation and chemo. Austin and I (Wendy) stayed at the Ronald McDonald house for about two months while his brothers where at home with their grandmother. He had surgery to have four shunts placed because he also had Hydrosyphilis. Austin had many complications with the shunts that had to be replaced a couple times had to be drained a couple times in and out of the hospital. But, through it all he smiled and never complained. In August of 2011, they told us that nothing was working and to take him home with hospice care. They told us he only had about a week but he lasted almost 3. He passed away when it was just him and I and a nurse in the room after everybody had left and went back to work.

To the THON community: Thank you for all you do for the THON families.

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We are the Rinier / Brommer family and we are paired with the American Institute of Architecture Students! Our family consists of Jason and Shannon, we are the parents, JD (16), Natalie (12), Colton (7), Addilyn (4), and Coleson (2). We live in Columbia, PA near Lancaster.

Bella was diagnosed on her 3rd birthday, 10/27/2009 with neuroblastoma stage 4. After a hard fight, Bella joined Jesus in heaven on 8/7/2012 a few months shy of her 6th birthday. SINCE WE CANT DANCE WITH HER, WE DANCE FOR HER!!!

Our favorite part of THON is every THON weekend!! In our free time we LOVE to visit PSU and go to football games and soccer games.

Our favorite quote as a family is:
"I love you to the moon and back."

For Bella and For the Kids

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We are the RJ Gentile Family! We are paired with Engineering House and this is our very first THON.

Our family is Rachel (mom), Randy (Dad), RJ (6 and turning 7 on the 22nd!), and Wesley (2). As a family we love watching and playing sports. Spending time together fishing and just being outside is what we love to do.

RJ was diagnosed with ALL B-cell Leukemia in December of 2019. It was a moment we will never forget for the rest of our lives. We are just over a year in treatment, and he is kicking serious butt!! You always hear about how resilient kids are, but when you see it first hand, it takes your breath away. We have a long journey left, but we are just riding our roller coaster and celebrating every little success along the way.

We admire every family going through this journey. No one knows what it’s like unless you’re living in it. We are in this together. We just not live in the lows but revel in the highs. “This too shall pass”. We are forever thankful for the nurses and doctors at Hershey. They always have a smile and act like every child is the most important. They are special people.

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We are the Newswanger family and we are paired with Club Gymnastics.

We are from Carlisle, PA, and our family consists of Briella (2), Keegan (4), Weston (6), Amy (mom), and Steve (dad). Our first THON was in 2018.

Weston was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma when he was 2 years old. He had about 11 months of chemo and 6 weeks of radiation. He has been cancer free for 3 years now!

A favorite memory from THON is being at the BJC and experiencing all the feels as we see how many students come together for 4 Diamonds.

In our free time we like to play games, have fun outside, and just be together as a family.

A quote from our family is "Many thanks for all you do to help THON happen. It takes many hours of hard work and many hands to make this happen. We are forever grateful for ALL you do!!"

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We are the Clay Hamman family and we have been (re)paired with Pi Kappa Phi and Delta Phi Epsilon for the past few years!  Our family consists of Clay (18), Tim (Dad, 59), and Patti (Mom, 56), we've made our home in Petersburg, PA.
Our first THON experience was back in 2005 where we were actually we paired with the old Pi Kapps.  This THON was actually the most memorable experience, it took place in REC Hall, nonetheless, the support was overwhelming!
Over the years, we have been huge Penn State supporters because of the support we've received during some of our toughest times.  We enjoy spending time with each other, being involved with high school sports, and can never pass up a vacation getaway to a beach somewhere!
To all the THON volunteers, we appreciate all you do for the families. And to the families, prayers to you all. Keep believing. Be together, be strong for each other!

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We are the Plummer family and we are paired with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE)!

We are from right here is State College, and our family includes Sela, Max, Todd (dad), and Kim (mom).

Sela is an Architectural Engineering student in college, and Max is a senior in high school. Sela is artistic and is extremely talented. She shows off her abilities during different SWE family visits.

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We are the Jack Sylves family, and we are paired with Schreyer Honors College Student Council. We are from State College, PA and our family consists of Jack (6), Marlowe (7), Monica (Mom), and Scott (Dad)! We love hiking, mini road trips, and playing board games (and the kids enjoy antagonizing and fighting with each other)!

In July 2018, Jack was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He endured 2 years of treatment filled with intense chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and several inpatient stays. Jack took his last chemo pill in November 2020 and is officially done with treatment!! We still go to Hershey for check-ins and have had some bumps in the road, but overall things are positive! Jack is thriving--he is energetic, strong-willed, sweet, and loves making people laugh! We are so thankful every day for the time we get to spend with him.

Our first THON was in 2019 and we were blown away by the energy--it truly cannot be matched. The kids love being on the floor hanging out with the dancers, shooting water guns and blowing bubbles! We are so excited to see the changes and creativity that THON 2021 will hold!

There are really no words to express how appreciative we are for THON, what it has done for us and continues to do for the battle against childhood cancer is truly AMAZING!

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We are the Alyanna Palacios/Norton Family!  We are paired with Penn State Dance Alliance and Club Dodgeball.

Our family consists of Nikosha (29), Daniel (31), Caralye (9), and Alyanna (5).  We are from Middletown, PA and this year will be our first THON!

Aly was Diagnosed Oct 1st 2020. It was a big surprise because she was healthy. She has T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. We became a part of THON because I signed her up because Aly loves people. I thought it would be something to keep her head up and stay strong. She has had many blood and platelet transfusions and had been admitted to the hospital once for a virus. Our families are our biggest supporters and the Middletown area school district too. They have done so much to show their love for her.

Although we haven't been involved with THON for very long, our favorite memory so far is meeting all the great people who are a part of THON.

Our family's favorite quote is 'be the best you can be.'

In our free time we like to go on the trails and be out and nature.  Also, Aly loves animals. Her guinea pigs Cookie and Oreo are her favorite and she talks about them all the time.

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Jen, Mike, Alexis and Jarrett

Our family is from Harrisburg, PA

Jen (Mom), Mike (Dad), Alexis (18) and Jarrett (12)

My family’s first Thon was in 1992. Since then my family has only missed 2 Thons.

Many memories including supporting my sister when she was a Thon dancer, taking my kids to Thon for the 1st time, watching my daughter donate her hair to Four Diamonds at Thon and getting a private tour of Beaver Stadium and Football locker room.

Jen was 16 years old when she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma in 1990.

Our family are all sports enthusiast: Go Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers and Nittany Lions!

"I’m not what I have done, I’m what I have overcome"

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We are The Cassie Cleary Family! We are paired with Penn State Dance Alliance and Club Dodgeball.

Our family is Michael, Kathy, and Cassie (15).  We are from Lancaster, PA and our first THON was 2019!

Cassie was diagnosed with ALL leukemia in March 2016. When she was first diagnosed she was in the hospital for about 6 weeks. Cassie entered remission at about 4 weeks. Cassie ended treatment in July 14, 2018.  Cassie really enjoys going down on the floor with the dancers. The atmosphere is so positive and fun.

Our family's favorite quote is worry ends where faith begins.

Cassie loves to draw.  We love to take day trips together.  We want to thank Four Diamonds. We could not even imagine where we would be without them. They offered our family so much support. When we had to tell Cassie of her diagnosis they were with us to answer any questions. Then also the financial support. We can not imagine if we had to pay for all her treatments and hospital stays. We would have been in financial ruins. Thank you so much Four Diamonds.

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We are the Zachary Zimmerman Family and are paired with ATΩ & ZTA. We are from Etters, PA and our family includes Jennifer, Jim, Zachary (17) and Glenn (4).

First THON: 2011

At the ate of 6 Zachary was diagnosed with stage 3 neuroblastoma. He underwent treatment for approximately 2 and 1/2 years. He is my hero, he was warrior against this terrible disease. Zachary currently has no evidence of the disease.

Our favorite THON memory was Zach's first THON he was able to go visit the swim team and after 2 long years he was finally able to go swimming. His Hickman broviac was removed and switched with a medi port. Zach was happy to be swimming and he went off the high dive!!

Zach enjoys the outdoors and likes to keep busy working outside. He also enjoys playing with his younger brother Glenn. The Zachary Zimmerman family would like to thank Dr. Moshe Bell & Melissa R and all the wonderful Dr.'s and nurses at Penn State. We are also thankful for the support of our THON family ATΩ & ZTA and the four diamonds.

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We are the Dameshek family and we are paired with Club Gymnastics.

We are from Lemoyne, PA, and our family includes Max (15), Natalie (mom), and Mitch (dad). Our first THON was in 2014.

Diagnosed at 9 with Ewing Sarcoma, Emilia went on to develop a secondary cancer, caused by treatment.  Three cancers in three years, including a bone marrow transplant, was too much for body. She died May 19, 2016 just three months before her 13th birthday.

A favorite memory from THON is the first time we ever walked on the floor at the BJC.

The parents like to hike, Max loves snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, and skim boarding!

Our family's favorite quote is "You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice."

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My name is CJ! When I was 21, I was diagnosed with ALL-B. THON has been a huge part of my journey and I couldn't be happier. On December 3, 2020 I rang the bell. I am cancer free!

WE ARE the CJ Ford Family (Dan, DeeAnna, Dani, and CJ)! We're from Harrisburg, PA. We are paired with Penn State Fitness Instructors. Our first THON was in 2018. Our favorite THON memory was touring the stadium! In our free time, we enjoy watching PSU sports (especially football), going to Disney World, and spending time with one another and our friends.

Fight FORD Tough

THANK YOU

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We are the Sullivans and we have been paired with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) for the past 9 years!

We are from Hanover PA, and our family consists of Jhonen, Trenton, Zach, and Jen (mom).

Jhonen was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2012, and as of this December is now 5 years cancer-free!!. Jhonen and his brother Trenton are extremely energetic and love coming to THON weekend with their water guns filled.

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The Michael Woods Family has been paired with Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) THON since 2006!

The family consists of Michael, age 20, his parents Lisa and Ryan, his older sisters Moriah and Lauren, and his younger siblings, Anna, Andrew, Christopher, Matthew, and Jonathan. The family lives in Greencastle, PA.

Mikey works for the Prince William County Department of Fire & Rescue!

The Woods Family has had great times with EMS THON and formed many great memories with them!

The family enjoys riding bikes, playing sports, and being together! Their favorite motto is "work hard, play even harder"

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We are the Vosburg Family and we have been paired with DASH since 2018.

We are from Mercersburg, PA and our family includes Kyle (21). Dawn (mom), Madison (20) and Dillon (20). Something our family for fun is spend time with family and friends. We also love our DASH pizza parties:)

Kyle was diagnosed end of Feb 2017 with AML. Graduated in hospital during treatment June 2017. Rang the bell October 2017. Cardiac arrest May 2019. He is a Warrior and Survivor!!

Favorite THON Memory: Too many to name. Love meeting and seeing other families and sharing stories and journeys!

When you go through deep waters I am with you Isaiah 43:2.  Even after the worst storms the sun will shine again.
Thank you Penn State for all that you do for the kids! WE ARE

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I am Barbara Van Aulen and we are paired with Alpha Omicron Pi and Phi Kappa Psi. Our first THON was in 2009. My favorite THON memory would be watching Ethan be so full of energy and excitement as THON was a major comfort zone for him. Ethan loved to have fun with the orgs and play with squirt guns.

Ethan was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor called Ependymoma in April of 2008.  His symptoms were headaches, vomiting, and lethargy, which worsened in the days leading up to his diagnosis.  I had taken him to our family doctor on multiple occasions prior to switching to a pediatric doctor with Penn State as I was not getting results with our family doctor.  On our very first visit, after meeting with Dr. Denise Telford-Wren, Ethan was scheduled for a CAT scan at Hershey Medical Center.  I felt Dr. Telford-Wren really took the time to listen to my concerns about my child's symptoms. We never left the hospital that day. The Fourth Right Ventrical of Ethan's brain was consumed by a very large tumor, detected by an MRI taken at the main hospital, following his CAT scan.  Ethan was admitted and had a emergency surgery the next morning, 4-2-08.  The surgery lasted almost eight hours. During the surgery, the surgeon had to scrape Ethan's brain stem in order to remove the entire tumor. Ethan also suffered from a small stroke during surgery.  In addition, some nerves were effected that resulted in eye issues that later  required an eye surgery.  His tumor was diagnosed as a mid grade maligant brain tumor called Ependymoma.  It was as big as a grown man's fist.  Ethan spent the next month in the hospital recovering, and receiived extensive therapies, including speech therapy and physical therapy.  His treatment plan included 33 radiation treatments called IMRT that started in the summer of 2008.  After leaving the hospital, Ethan continued receiving therapies (speech, occupational, and physical) and began radiation treatments, which required many back and forth trips to Hershey Medical Center.  The Four Diamonds Fund paid every bill, from leftover medical bills not covered by insurance to the music therapy he received to calm his irritation after waking up from the effects of propothal, a form of anesthesia he received through an inserted pic line during radiation treatments.  We owed nothing.  It was a devastating time and we had so much support from the Four Diamonds Fund so that our sole focus could be on Ethan's recovery. Day's after his surgery, we had been introduced to the Four Diamonds Fund, a blessing that had not been expected but became a staple in our lives.

Thank you Penn State and every org and dancer for every effort, and every 46 hour stand that we have been a part of since 2009.  Wihtout you, the Four Diamonds Fund would not be what it is today. Your ongoing support and fundraising efforts are backed by extreme gratitude and love as children faced with cancer receive the highest level of care at Hershey. Thank you to everyone involved  for making THON 2021 successful although the circumsances are like no other.  GO THON!  BEAT CANCER!  FTK!

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We are the Sowers family and we are paired with Behrend Benefitting THON. Our family consists of Katelyn (22), Bob, and Beth (parents).

Hometown: Millerstown

First THON: 2013

Katie was diagnosed with an olfactorneauroblastoma in October 2010.  She has had 3 surgeries to remove it.  She is a survivor as she has been off treatment since February 2016.  She loves working on the farm with her cows.

Favorite THON memory: Being with able to spend time with our THON family.

What does your family like to do in their free time?: Go camping, being outside with our friends!

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The Xavier Colon Family is paired with Springfield. The Colon family includes Megan, Tito, Victor, Xander, and Xavier (angel). They are from Bernville, PA. The Colon family's first THON was in 2006.

Xavier was diagnosed with AML in Sept 2005 and gained his angel wings in March 2006.

THON is our time to honor the memory of Xavier and celebrate his life.

Favorite quote: Enjoy every moment

Our family loves sports and hanging with our organization, Springfield.

Dance on and thank you.

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The Johnson Family is paired with the Sign Language Organization!

Meghan Johnson was a beautiful and talented young woman who was diagnosed with Glioblastoma as a teenager and passed away just days before her 19th birthday in 2017.

Meghan was bright and happy, and she had a beautiful voice! Meghan loved to sing, and she even wrote her own songs!
The Sign Language Organization performed an original song of Meghan's in American Sign Language at THON 2019.

It is an absolute honor to learn more about Meghan through her music and through her father, Mr. Johnson.

The Sign Language Organization dedicates their performance at THON 2021 to the Johnson Family and to the memory of Meghan Johnson!

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We are the Dawson Family and we have been going to THON since 2014. We are paired happily with Ohana the since then! Our family lives in Highspire, PA a little outside Harrisburg. Jay is 10 years old and has two younger brother twins who are 8. As a family we like to travel to the beach. We enjoy swimming and the sunshine!

Jay was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2012. He is 8 years off treatment. Jay is a blessing and we are so proud of his progress since diagnosis. We are forever grateful for our second family, our org, Ohana who have supported our family through a lot the past 7 years.

Favorite THON Memories: We enjoy dancing and being silly with the THON dancers! Squirt guns are so fun!

"Live everyday like it’s your last."

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We are the Taffel Family and we are paired with Sigma Delta Tau and Kappa Sigma.

We are from Mechanicsburg, PA. Our family consists of Ken (63), Joan (59), Nick (19), and Cordelia (Cordi for short, 11).

Nick was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, kidney cancer, in 2007, at age 6. The tumor, left kidney, and 15 lymph nodes were removed, and he had multiple rounds of radiation and chemo. Then, a genetic marker mandated more extreme, longer treatment. Nick made it through treatment, survivorship, and is now 12 years cancer free and on his way to pursuing his dreams!

We're so blessed and thankful to have been on the THON floor for the last 4 hours of all 10 years to support our dancers!

In our free time, our family loves to play games and watch movies.

Our family's favorite quote is "ALWAYS persevere!"

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We are the Stalebrink Family and we are paired with Club Track!

We are from Hershey, PA and our family includes Elliot (18), Sofia (16), Meghan (46), and Odd (50).

Odd was a Swedish exchange student when he met Meghan at University. They followed each other around the East Coast and Europe for a few years and then got married. Soon after, Elliot and Sofia joined the family. Odd is now a professor at Penn State Harrisburg and Meghan is a high school English teacher. Elliot is currently a senior in high school and is excited to start college next year, probably at Penn State!!!!:) Sofia will then be starting her senior year in Hershey.

Our free time is for family dinners, walks around Hershey, Star Wars or Harry Potter marathons, and home renovation projects. Our favorite quote is "there is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing!"

The first THON we attended was in 2018. We just love the incredible excitement and joy of THON. Getting to know some of the amazing students who make it happen is a huge part of the experience. Having experienced such family trauma as cancer we are always overwhelmingly touched by the love and care that the students put into making this event special and totally unique way of celebrating life. We loved every minute of it!

One thing we want to share with the THON community is to choose love everyday and it will choose to be available.

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We are the Kemberling Family and we have been paired with Pillar for the past year!

We are from Lebanon, PA and our family consists of Emily and Tyler (parents), Travis (12), and Chase (11).

Chase was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma on October 29, 2013. He received six rounds of chemotherapy and spent almost three months in the hospital. On January 16th, 2014, Chase received his off-treatment PET scan and was in remission!

Shortly after the amazing news, we experienced our first THON in 2014! We love coming to THON each year, and the boys' favorite things to do in the BJC include playing ball and having water gun fights with the dancers.

In our free time, our family loves playing sports, camping, and spending time at the beach!

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The Calliope Silbaugh Family is paired with Springfield.

The Silbaugh family has two girls Calli age 8 and Sydney age 11. They are from Dilllsburg. Their first THON was in 2015!

Calli was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in Aug 2012 at 5 months old. She spent most of the next 7 months in the “old” hospital receiving treatment. She was the first stem cell transplant in the “new” Children’s Hospital. Calli was finished with her treatment (6 rounds of chemo and a stem cell transplant) by her 1st birthday on April 8, 2013. Calli is 8 years old.

We enjoyed watching Calli play the piano during the kids talent show in 2019.

We enjoy camping, swimming, and acting. Calli really likes Animal Crossing and playing soccer at school.

Thank you again for all that you do, FTK!

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We're the Illicete family, from Chambersburg, PA! Our big, wonderful family is headed by Mary and James, and our kids are Chris, Melanie, Becky, Joey, Peter, AnneMarie, Emily, Faith, Anthony, Gregory, and Theresa!

Our youngest, Theresa, was diagnosed with high grade metastatic osteosarcoma in 2014. During the course of her treatment, she became refractory and relapsed several times. Four Diamonds provided Theresa with the option to take part in a trial, that ultimately saved her life.  Theresa is now 15 years old and in remission, and is as artistic and spunky as every 15 year old is.

We've been paired with the Penn State Thespian Society since our first THON in 2015. This is our sixth THON with them! During THON weekend 2020, the Thespians decorated our hotel rooms and left us t-shirts and love notes all over to welcome us back to town, and we had so much fun in the BJC and around town that weekend.

We pray for God to bless the THON community every day. The money you raised funded the treatment that saved our very large and loving family from the devastating loss of our princess rockstar, Theresa.

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We are the DiRocco family; we have been paired with the Alpha Phi Organization for the past two decades. We are from Mechanicsburg, PA.

Our family consists of Peter (dad), Lisa (mom), Danielle (sister), Adam (brother), and Alex (our angel). Our son, Alex was diagnosed with Leukemia that was referred to as the Philadelphia Chromosome. This chromosome was an abnormality that made this disease extremely resistant to any sort of treatment at that time. He battled his disease for a little over two years, and unfortunately lost the battle against cancer on May 8, 2001.

Two dates will forever be etched in our minds: April 19, 1999 and May 8, 2001. These dates represent the opening and closing of leukemia for our family and when our lives were forever changed. Alex always had faith that eventually be cured. We believe that we have done everything we possibly could have for our son, and with that belief we are constantly trying to heal. Although we lost a piece of our family, we love to talk about our son and how positive and happy of a person he was. It means the world to us to see Alpha Phi wearing Alex’s name on the back of their shirts and representing our angel during THON weekend.

Despite our angel Alex never making it to THON due to his compromised immune system, we find comfort in keeping his legacy alive through THON  and its members’ drive to find a cure for childhood cancer!

Thanks for everything you've done for us to keep Alex’s spirit alive and always FTK!

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We are the Gora Family and our paired with Ayuda! We attended our first THON in 2014!

We are from Duncannon, PA and our family includes Stan (dad), Nicole (mom), Ayden (10), and Zayla (8)!

In our free time we enjoy hiking, spending time with family, playing with our dog, Oreo, and of course, seeing Ayuda!

Ayden was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013, when he was 2 years old. Unfortunately, he relapsed when he was 5, while still on treatment. Thankfully, a clinical trial brought him back into remission and has him thriving today! THON and Four Diamonds have been such an incredible support, giving us the opportunity to interact with other families and people who understand. Our org, Ayuda, have not only been best friends to Ayden and Zayla throughout this, but family to us; we are forever grateful to them!

Our favorite THON memories are spending time with our Ayuda dancers in the middle of the night, water gun battles times with our Ayuda friends, seeing the Nittany Lion, and meeting out Ayuda member’s parents/family.

We would like to say thank you so much, to the THON volunteers, for all you do every year, but especially this challenging year! Thank you for building a community for all of the THON families.  Thank you especially to AYUDA! Everyone of you, since we were first paired with you, have been such an important part of Ayden's journey.  Thank you for every smile and laugh, for taking time out of your lives to be a part of ours, and for being you! Keep going Shelby and Rachel, you both are amazing and we are so proud of you!! FTK!💛

“Today, today is a whole new day!” -Ayden, when he was about 6

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We are the Zomok Family, and we have been paired with the Alpha Phi Organization for the past couple of years!

We are from Hershey, PA.

When I was 4 years-old, I had gotten to my grandma's house; I got out of the car and my grandma's friend's dog ran at me and knocked me down. I was rushed to the hospital. The doctors did a couple scans and flew me to the Pittsburgh Churned Hospital. That was when my family and I found out that I had a brain tumor. I have gotten three numerous surgeries on my head. Mostly to readjust my shunt. I was four-years-old when all of this happened and now I am 23.

My favorite THON memory is that I love dancing with my dancers and squirting them with water guns!

My family's favorite quote is Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him that strengthen me."

In the Fall of 2019, Mara came to the Alpha Phi’s THON Family Barbeque and got to hang out with the Aphi girls. She loves all of them! She’s like an honorary member in our paired organization.

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We are the McDonnell Family, and we are paired with the Alpha Phi Organization! We are from Myerstown, PA.

Our family consists of Brian (dad), Kristi (mom), Dylan (twin brother), and Kyle (twin brother, and THON child). Although Kyle is our official THON child, Dylan is treated as our organization’s THON child just as much as Kyle is! Alpha Phi loves them both equally! Kyle and his twin brother, Dylan, turned 14 during THON 2020 weekend, and will be turning 15 two days after THON 2021!

Kyle has Hodgkin's Lymphoma, but went into remission September of 2018! He got to ring the bell and everything!!. He still goes in for regular check-ups to make sure nothing has returned. Kyle and Dylan both play soccer and baseball throughout the year and are super active! They also love to play Xbox and go to SkyZone. They’re both a bit shy at first, but open up pretty quickly and are the sweetest, most polite boys ever. They also both LOVE Penn State football and even named their dog, Nittany!

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Hi everyone! We are the Smith Family, and we are paired with the Alpha Phi Organization. We are from Hanover, PA.

Our family consists of Jenn (mom), Jeff (dad), Mason (son), Kiersten (sister), and Ryan (brother). Our son, Mason, has Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, which is a rare cancer that usually only happens in adults. Our paired organization has also helped this 2020-2021 year with raising funds for Mason’s new service dog! He loves his puppy, Scarlett!

Mason also loves history, video games, science, spicy foods, reddit memes, and nerf gun/water gun fights! During our BBQ last fall, Mason started a nerf gun fight with the Alpha Phi and Sigma Chi THON Chairs; it was so much fun!! We’ve made it a tradition to go bowling with our paired organizations each year during THON. Mason is always looking for the best players to be on his team. Mason is also super smart and had the highest score out of the entire 8th grade for the Lexile Test for Language Arts! He is now in high school and doing so well. Our THON chairs are currently helping him with math! We love our brainiac :)

Our family quote is: “‘You are BRAVER than you believe, STRONGER than you seem, and SMARTER than you think, and LOVED more than you’ll ever know.’ We always said it to Mason and it has stuck with us ever since.”

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We’re the Nadine Zanolini Family, and we’re paired with Delta Zeta and Sigma Pi!

Our family includes Lilly (age 6), Caleb (9), Sabrina (21), Jeremy, and Adrienne.  We are from Drums, PA and we have been a part of THON since 2001.  Nadine was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in the fall of 2000. Chemotherapy and radiation beat the tumor at first, and Nadine was able to be a normal kid for a few months. But, then the cancer came back with a vengeance. She died on September 7th, 2001. She was only six years old.

Our favorite THON memories are when our daughters danced in THON.  Adrienne danced in 2007 for the Engineering House and Sabrina danced last year for the Society of Women’s Engineers.

Our family loves to camp and hike with our dogs Cooper and Denali.

“Come on, come play some more!”

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We are the Lightner Family and we have been paired with Mont Alto since 2011! We are from Carlisle, PA.

Our family consists of Dan (dad), Holly (mom), Austin, and Evan (brother). Austin was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at age two in January 2010. He spent 1162 days in treatment and went off of treatment on March 26th, 2013! He has been in remission ever since! Austin is now thriving as a 13-year-old in middle school. He enjoys watching the weather, riding his bike, kayaking, looking at maps, flying on Flight Simulator, riding horses, and play dates with his friends.

One of Austin and Evan's favorite THON activities is having a water gun fight with our organization! We also usually have an annual bonfire with our organization so that we can all bond with the Mont Alto students and alumni.

In our free time, we love to travel together as a family!

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We are the Schweitzer Family from Mechanicsburg, PA! Our family consists of  Craig, Julie, Jordan (26), and Robby (22). We like to watch sports and enjoy hanging out with friends and extended family.

Robby was diagnosed with ALL in 2000, when he was just two years old. The following year (2001) was our first THON and we were paired with ATΩ & ZTA. Robby's favorite THON memory is getting to dance for ATΩ & ZTA in THON 2020. He says, "Coming full circle was an amazing experience!"

We are so fortunate to have the support of so many. The accomplishments of THON are unmatched and amazing to see every year. A quote our family loves is, “Believe deep down in your heart that you are destined to do great things” -JoePa

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We are the Ortiz Family from Reading, PA. Our family consists of Giselle Arman, Ervin Gonzalez, Gisellys Gonzalez (12), Ginellys Gonzalez (6), and Joycenellys (3). We love to watch movies together during our free time! We are paired with ATΩ and ZTA and attended our first THON in 2019.

Our daughter, Joyce Ortiz, was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in August of 2016. Joyce relapsed 2 times. During the times of her relapse her right leg had to get amputated along with many other intense surgeries. Joyce was a very strong daughter who never gave up and fought until she gained her wings on January 30th 2020.

Our best and most memorable moment was when our daughter Joyce sang for her first time in front of thousands of people! ATΩ and ZTA have been an amazing organization to our family and are always there for us.

Our family's favorite quote is "We Fight As One." - Joyce Ortiz

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We are the Sanborn Family! Our family consists of Michelle, Brooks, Cambria (11), and Kai (10). We are from York, PA and love to spend time outdoors!

Kai was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia in 2012 and was in treatment for 5 years. We attended our first THON in 2014 with our organization, ATΩ and ZTA.

Our kids favorite memory from THON is playing with the students all weekend long. The energy and passion that drives THON is evident in the student’s who put their heart and soul in this cause. We want to Thank each of you!

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We are the Laboy family and we have been paired with Delta Gamma and Delta Upsilon since 2011! We are from Millersville, PA. Kaylahni is 11 years old and Nadelyne “Nani” Laboy is 14 years old.

Kaylahni was diagnosed at 4 months old with a brain tumor called Empendymoblastoma. She underwent a brain tumor resection, 6 rounds of Chemo and a stem cell transplant. Kaylahni celebrated 11 years of being Cancer Free on 2/11/21!!!!!

We’ve had so many favorite memories throughout the years, but two that always stick out is Kaylahni making baby powder Ángels on the slides of strength without a care in the world and the second would be watching Joe Jonas perform in 2017! The way the girls eyes lit up of excitement I will never forget!

During our free time we like to shop, visit different restaurants, take family hikes, and enjoy time with our friends and family.

Our family's favorite quotes is "Let Go and Let God because Miracles do happen".

We are very appreciative of the entire THON community and will forever be grateful for being paired with Delta Gamma and Delta Upsilon. For the past 10 years they have become family and older siblings for my children and are such role models I couldn’t be any more prouder.

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We are the McCarthy Family and have been paired with Rugby ever since 2015!

One of our favorite THON memories is when Logan played with the Nittany Lion during athlete hour in 2016!

Our family consists of Logan, Jacob (brother), Savannah (sister), and Galadriel (mom). Logan was diagnosed in January 2015 after weeks of feeling unheard. We were sent to Hershey for more answers.  From the second we got out  of the ambulance where of course we had to watch finding Nemo the whole way from York, we found out January 3 2015 that it was cancer. January 5 that it was Stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma and January 9 we started chemo.  There was laundry list of treatments and stages and processes that were thrown at us in first month, but our favorite one was the explanation of four diamonds, the THON community and what it could do for us. We are entirely blessed to have been paired with the same organization since our diagnosis that has seen us through all aspects of life changes not just cancer related.  We have gained a very large family and for that we will be forever grateful.  Logan was 18 months old when he got sick, He is now almost 8 years old and there has been no evidence of disease since 2017. He loves school Pokémon Jojo Siwa and Karate.  He is a force of nature! Thanks to THON, our org, and all the doctors who made it possible for him to be here!

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We are the Riley Renjiak Family and we are paired with Berks Benefitting THON. We are from Leesport, PA and our family consists of  Riley (8), Greyson (7), Elijah (4), and Gregory and Ashley (Parents). We love to play games and going to the movies!

Riley was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma in April 2017. Went through a year and a half of aggressive treatment. Was in remission for a year when he relapsed. Went through treatment again and had been NED since 10/2019!

Our first THON was in 2018 and our favorite THON memory was walking across the stage and seeing everyone there who was supporting my child and ever child like him. It was amazing!

To the THON Community, we thank you for the bottom of our hearts for the continuing support you all show our families and families like ours. Words can not describe how loved we feel and reminds us that we are not alone.

"I'm not worried about it" ~Riley Rejniak
#RallyForRileyRejniak

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The Taiven Schopf Family is paired with Springfield and includes Dean Schopf, Tammy Schopf, and Taiven Schopf (11). The Schopfs are from Dover, PA and their first THON was in 2015!

Taiven was diagnosed with a type of brain cancer in Jan. of 2015.  He had to relearn how to walk and talk. Was stable for five years, until October of 2020 when three new tumors showed up on hos scans.  He is now on treatment to fight the new "bad guys".

Family’s favorite THON memory:  Meeting Nate Stupar during one of the family adventures.

Family’s favorite quote: Whatever it takes.

What your family likes to do in your free time: Taiven enjoys playing ice hockey, and going camping.

Thank you all for doing what you do to help families like ours!

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We're the Shovers family and we are paired with Gamma Sigma Sigma. Our family is made up of Garrett (10), Hunter (13), Corban (15), Troy Jr (17), Jennifer (42), and Troy (44).

Hometown: Greencastle, Pa

First THON: 2014

Garrett was diagnosed with ALL at the age of 2 years old.  He responded very well to his chemotherapy and went into remission after 5 weeks, and has been since.  He has done well, besides some side effects from the chemo, and this January has celebrated his 5 year post-chemo mark.  He continues to keep going, no matter the circumstance or how he feels.

Favorite THON Memory: It is so hard to pinpoint a favorite Thon memory!  There are so many memories, and each one has special meaning!  Our boys have had so much fun each year and had such unique experiences, it is so hard to choose.

What does your family like to do for fun? We love to hunt, hike, camp, and do lots of things outdoors.  Also, our boys play in the band and also play football.

Favorite quote: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"-Philippians 4:13

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We are the Bell Family and we are paired with the Student Athlete Advisory Board, also known as SAAB.  We are from Shermans Dale, PA and our family consists of Josh and Heather Bell (parents), Madison (11), and Sawyer (8).  We are a very active family. We enjoy getting out and exploring the world around us! Sports are a huge part of our life, watching and playing is something we all enjoy!

Sawyer was a typical little boy who enjoyed spending time with his family and friends! He really enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing sports! Once diagnosed, Sawyer began the fight of his life, for his life! It was through the support of not only his family, friends, community and medical staff, but his connection with THON & PSU! Once connected the focus was not only on Sawyer's health, it was shifted to our families health and wellbeing! THON is an amazing community that offers support to the entire family. THON has helped Sawyer take the fight against childhood cancer to a new level! Sawyer is 7 months post treatment and back to being a typical kid! Not only did Sawyer win his current battle, our family is beginning to get our world back!

We participated in our first THON last year and all we can say is WOW! Every second we spent participating in THON activities was amazing. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for THON as we continue on our journey receiving and hopefully giving back to such an amazing organization.

We are so thankful for each and every person who supports THON! It has allowed our family to focus on what is truly important, the health of our son.

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up" - Babe Ruth

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Hi everyone! We are the Kayla Nakonechni family and we are paired with Band Together. Our family includes Pete, Jeanne, Kayla (our angel), Peter, Lauren, Charlie, and Lucas. We are from Carbondale PA! Kayla’s first THON was in 2013 when she danced and our first THON as a Four Diamonds Family was in 2014.

After experiencing seizures for a few months, Kayla had an awake craniotomy in August 2013. Kayla was diagnosed with Astrocytoma Grade IV, known as Glioblastoma. She began chemotherapy and radiation therapy a month after surgery. Kayla did well during her initial treatments. In January 2014 Kayla returned to Penn State Main Campus to begin her senior year. Throughout her senior year she continued with chemotherapy.  She experienced side effects such as low platelet counts, shingles, pneumonia, all while continuing her education. Despite everything she went through she was able to graduate from Penn State in December 2014. Unfortunately, Kayla had a recurrence and despite all efforts and Kayla’s strength, determination, and beautiful smile she passed away October 14, 2015.

We have a few THON memories that are our favorites. The first would be in 2013 when Kayla was an independent dancer. In 2015 Kayla was honored to be a featured speaker during Family hour. And we loved bringing our granddaughter to THON for the first time. She loved spending time on the floor with the dancers and the Blue Band. We love our family time together. Since Kayla has passed away we plan a special activity each year for her birthday. Our favorite quote is Kayla’s motto: “Life is tough but I am tougher.”

THON was an important part of Kayla’s time at Penn State beginning her freshman year. When she realized she would have to take time off of school, what was most difficult for her was that she wouldn’t be able to be part of THON as a Penn State student.

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We are currently paired with Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Kappa Alpha.

Our wholesome family includes Dylan (8yr old brother), Lana (11yr old sister), Rachael (mom), and Jason (dad). We live in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.

Dylan was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in 2017. After a few nights of waking up with extreme pain in his upper arm, we knew something was not right. Dylan was and still is a very energetic, athletic kid and doesn’t let much of anything get him down. Luckily, the docs at PS Hershey we’re able to treat his arm effectively and efficiently early in his diagnosis. Dylan has been LCH free since 2018 and continues to be the fun loving energetic boy and now very healthy kid! In 2018, we began participating with our wonderful organizations.

Our favorite THON memory stems from the family dynamic Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Kappa Alpha have created. We love spending time with our organizations. They are awesome They always make our THON experience so fun and meaningful!

In our free time , we love to play and watch sports. We also enjoy doing family hikes and going to the beach for vacation.

Our favorite quote is: “All you need is Faith the size of a mustard seed.”

Lastly, we would like to extend a THANK YOU to every single person that helps to make THON happen. You not only mean so much to Dylan but also to the rest of our family!  Your dedication means more to every Four Diamonds family than you could ever know.

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We are the Gehman family paired with CHAARG benefitting THON! Lindsay (36), Matt (44), Kendall (10), Whitney (6), and Maddie (5) from Leola, PA. Our first THON was in 2018.

Whitney was almost 3 when I took her to the doctor’s office to have a weird ‘rash’ checked out. The doctor examined her for no more than 2-3 minutes before sitting down and telling me that she was diagnosing Whitney with cancer. Our world was turned upside down in a matter of a few seconds. Whitney was a true warrior throughout her treatment. She was stronger than I ever could have imagined. Almost 4 years now post diagnosis she is healthy and happy.

The Gehman girls' favorite memory at THON is whenever they were able to have a water gun battle with our CHAARG dancers on the floor.

As a family, we like to go for walks together, ride bikes, and watch movies while eating popcorn.

We are so grateful for the THON community and the support that they provide to families during some of their darkest days.

-Lindsay

“Together is our favorite place to be.”

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We're the Drapcho Family, and our family includes: Tyler Drapcho; Kierra Drapcho; Chayton Drapcho 2 years old; Rocco Drapcho 6 months old.
Our Story:
"When Chayton was still a baby, we started noticing a bump on his right hand which was eventually diagnosed as a vascular malformation. As time passed, it started getting larger and things just weren’t adding up for us so we decided to go for more opinions. At only 2 1/2 years old, we found out that Chayton actually had cancer (a soft tissue sarcoma) the whole time and was misdiagnosed. We also found out that his tumor has unique characteristics that aren’t typically seen in this type of cancer, making his case extremely rare. He’s now on a treatment plan to try to shrink the tumor as the only current surgical option is amputation."

Our First THON
"This year is our first THON, so we’re really looking forward to learning more about other THON families and their stories. It will also be so amazing to see everyone’s hard work come to fruition on such a magical weekend.

In our free time, we like to do the usual “hang out with friends and family” type thing, but COVID has made that harder this past year. Instead, we’ve been going on car rides to get out of the house. Chayton loves going to McDonald’s for a happy meal and Dunkin’ Donuts for a chocolate sprinkle donut."

Favorite Quote: As Chayton would say, “Stronger than the hulk and tough as nails!!”

"THANK YOU for all your dedication and hard work to change lives!!"

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We are the Wolf Family and we have been paired with Club Snowboard since THON 2017! We are from Howard, PA. Our family consists of Matt, Shannon , Kane 13, Jackson (almost) 10, and Ariel 24.

Kane was diagnosed with stage IV High risk Neuroblastoma in 2014 . He went through emergency surgery, chemo, stem cell transplant, proton radiation and Immunotherapy. Kane is now 4 years CANCER FREE and a healthy teenager!

Our favorite THON memory is seeing how many students actually care about finding a cure for our children!

They boys play baseball and basketball. They all fish. Our favorite vacation spot is at the lake in Upstate New York.

We would like to thank everyone who takes part in THON!!

"Never Give Up."

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We are the Oles Family and this is our very first THON! We are from Billing Springs, PA. Our family consists of Bryan (48), Alexandra (46), Brandon (17), and Benjamin (11).

Benjamin was diagnosed with a Pineal Mixed Germ Cell Tumor at the end of January 2020. Ben was an otherwise healthy and athletic healthy kiddo.  The weekend before his diagnosis he had a basketball game, in-door soccer game, spring baseball evaluations and subbed for the wrestling team.  By Wednesday we were taking him to the ER for what we thought was dehydration due to the flu, resulted in an emergency CT Scan because of two seizures he had in the ER. By Friday we were receiving confirmation of a brain tumor. Needless to say, 2020 turned into an even more unprecedented year for us. But amongst all the craziness of a pandemic and some health set-backs we were blessed in so many ways. One year later, Ben is disease free!

We are looking forward to the experience and meeting other amazing families.

In our free time we like to travel, ride bikes, watch movies, and play board games!

We are excited to participate and find ways to give back and pay it forward.

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We are the Carly Wilfong Family and are paired with Family Relations! Our first THON was in 2013 and our favorite memory is stepping into the Bryce Jorden Center for the first time in 2013, touring the beaver stadium during THON weekend, meeting the Lionettes and cheerleaders. Family hour is also good too and seeing Go Go gadjet.

On March 18, 1993, at three and a half years, I was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. My treatment began soon after diagnosis and ended in October 1995 in Richmond, VA, at the Medical Center of Virginia. My protocol of twelve days of cranial spinal radiation and two and one half years of chemotherapy. I had various follow-up exams and procedures done at Duke Children's Hospital during this time period when my family moved to Raleigh, NC . After my families next move to Hershey, PA, and even to this day, I am cared for at Hershey Medical Center. Today. as a thirty-one year old survivor, my passion is to help children with cancer and their families dealing with this disease. Along with working full time for my dad's custom building business, I am an active participant on committees such as the Pediatric Family Advisory Council at Hershey Medical Center and currently paired with THON's Family Relations Committee. I regularly attend Camp Mak-A-Dream in Gold Creek, MT, as a camper and counselor, and volunteer at Hershey's Ronald McDonald House . I enjoy being a youth group leader at Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey I am a zumba instructor who would like to teach children currently on and off cancer treatment.

In our free time we like to spend time with family, watch movies, go out to eat, and listen to music.

Family's Favorite Quote: "Look for the bare necessities" - Jungle Book

The last thing we would like to share with the THON Community is: Live life to the fullest, never be scared to ask questions, be positive.

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Kirsten German Family

Kirsten is paired with Club Croquet.

Kirsten’s family includes Adrienne (sister), who attends Penn State Harrisburg, Kim (mom), and Greg (dad). They live in Middletown, PA.

At the age of 6, in July of 2002 Kirsten was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. Kirsten had both surgery to remove the tumor and 6 ½ weeks of conformal radiation. Today, she is a happy, healthy 25-year-old. She is an eighteen-year cancer survivor, who is living out her dream of being a kindergarten teacher.

Kirsten’s first THON was in 2013, but in 2017 was her first THON with Croq.

Kirsten's favorite THON memory is THON 2020 when she got to speak on stage while donating her hair surrounded by her family and Club Croq. WE ARE!

In their free time, the Germans enjoys crafting. Their favorite quote is “Live life to the fullest, every day!”

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The incredible Packer Family includes: Ryan, age 14, Alex, age 17, and their two loving parents Denise and Dean. The Packers are from Dover, PA. In their free time they enjoy playing board  and card games together.

Ryan was diagnosed with Acute B Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia June 2019. A few hiccups and bumps in the road on our journey ultimately brought us to Together with ZBT, SNAPS and to THON. End of treatment Oct 2021 Ryan will ring the bell and cancer will not have won!! #PACKERSTRONG22

The Packers first THON was THON 2020. And their most memorable and favorite moment was the Final Reveal. They appreciate all that THON has done for them and all the other Four Diamonds families.

You never know how strong you are until you don’t have a choice.

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The Kenzie Robertson Family is paired with Springfield and includes Kenzie Robertson (30). Kenzie lives in Williamsport, PA and attended her first THON in 2001!

Kenzie was diagnosed with cancer of the soft palate at age 6, but was deemed cancer free a few months later at age 7. Between Kenzie’s cancer and muscular dystrophy, which she’s struggled with her whole life, she unfortunately still feels many side effects. Kenzie has found her home in Springfield. Kenzie loves spending time with each new class of Springfielders playing games like Mario Kart and Uno. Even though Kenzie claims that Uno is just a game of luck, she always finds a way to beat Springfielders.

Kenzie’s favorite THON memories are being on the floor each year for Final Four and last year one of the athletes gave her a bracelet!

Kenzie loves playing video games. Some of her favorite games are Kingdom Hearts (her favorite!), Pokemon, various Super Mario games, and Animal Crossing. When Kenzie is with Springfield, she enjoys racing Springfielders in Mario Kart and beating them in UNO. Some Springfielders have also been able to visit Kenzie’s Animal Crossing over the Nintendo Switch! Kenzie also enjoys watching her favorite Youtubers play several of her favorite video games. She also enjoys watching anime and loves going to SaikouCon, an anime convention in the Poconos, each year with Springfield. One year she even got some Springfielders to dress up! When driving to and from family visits with Springfield, Kenzie loves jamming out to Taylor Swift, her favorite artist. Sing along car drives are some of Springfield’s favorite memories with Kenzie. At home, Kenzie spends a lot of time playing with her adorable cats, Sammy and Sonya.

Kenzie wants everyone to know that the THON community does a great job to make THON special each and every year!

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The Crimmel Family includes Shiloh(4), Harper(6), Brian, and Cindy. They are from Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. They have been paired with the Lionettes Dance Team since their first THON in 2018. The Crimmel family likes to play games, be outside, and go to the beach in their free time.

Shiloh was diagnosed in 2018 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  After a little over two years of treatment, Shiloh rang the end of treatment bell in September of 2020!

Their favorite THON Memory was from THON 2020 when they got to go out with the Nittany Lion and light up the BJC during the pep rally and white out.

They would like to thank everyone for the support that they received during their 2+ year journey. They are so grateful and happy to be apart of the Penn State family!

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The Fazekas Family includes Ashley(16), Elaine, and John. They are from Maytown, Pennsylvania. They have been paired with the Lionettes Dance Team since their first THON in 2007. In their free time, the Fazekas Family likes to watch Golden Girls and play with their three cats. Their favorite quote is, "I am the one thing in life I can control".

Ashley was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of one. She is now 15 years in remission and lives life to the fullest! She is a warrior and loves to spread happiness.

Their favorite THON memory is when Ashley got a cat in mail call a few years ago! Jasmine has been a blessing and they will never forget when they got her!

They are so grateful for the blessings THON has given to them throughout the years and them memories they have made!

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Noah McCampbell (15), Joshua McCampbell (18), Ronald McCampbell and Patricia McCampbell

Our Story
"Noah was diagnosed on September 22, 2020 with B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Just a few weeks later, he had blood clots in his brain, seizures, and a stroke due to the chemotherapy he was receiving. While Noah was in the hospital recovering, his doctors notified us that he also has a rare diagnosis of being Low Hypodiploid (lymphoblasts which contains less than 46 chromosomes). He finished his first 6 months of treatment, and to everyones amazement, is now in remission. However, he still has 7 months of intense treatment left due to the Low Hypodiploid diagnosis. He has proven to everyone what a fighter he is, and hopefully by the end of summer, he will be cancer-free with a lower chance of relapse."

Favorite part about THON: "The energy, love, and support the THON community provides."

Favorite Activities:
Hike and enjoy the great outdoors, play video games, and binge watch TV Netflix shows.

Favorite Quote: "Me think, why waste time say lot word, when few word do trick." - Kevin Malone, The Office

"Thank you so much for all of the support THON and Four Diamonds has provided not only for Noah, but our whole family family."

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The Williams are paired with Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.
The family includes Sean, age 12, his two brothers, Aaron, age 13, and Robert III, age 25, as well as their wonderful parents Marylou and Robert Jr. They live in Warfordsburg, PA.

Sean was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma Stage 4 high risk at 18 months old in July 2010. He was in treatment for 15 months, and finished treatment in November 2011. He has been officially cancer free for 9 years as of this past November!

The Williams' first THON was in 2012! Their favorite THON memory over the years was getting to meet and spend time with the Penn State Football team! In their free time, the Williams like to go fishing.

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We are the Cosentino Family and our family includes Celia (11), Adeline (14), Sara, and Terry. Our hometown is Wyomissing, PA. In our free time, we enjoy going on walks with our dog Marlo together. Club Ultimate Frisbee is our paired organization and we attended our first THON last year in 2020!

Celia was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, CNS Ganglioneuroblastoma, in August 2018. She underwent 5 rounds of harsh chemo regimen, followed by 3 cycles of high(er) dose chemo and stem cell transplant. She lived at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital for 9 months. She completed treatment in July 2019 and her tumor has remained stable.

Our favorite THON memory is Celia doing the talent show with Club Frisbee. They choreographed a dance to Celia’s fight song, but just as they were supposed to go on, Celia got very nervous and changed her mind. With the gentle and loving encouragement of her org, Celia decided to go onstage. She got out of her wheelchair and danced with her org friends and it was simply amazing.

We are forever grateful for THON and their dedication to fighting (and dancing) to find an end to childhood cancer. #FTK #loveforcelia

“It’s better to be happy than angry.” -Celia Cosentino (during treatment after a turnaround of her mindset)

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Collin, Neya, Jenn, Bill are from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Kratzer Family attended their first THON in 2011.

In 2010, Collin was diagnosed with medulloblastoma brain cancer at 16 months of age. He has had brain surgery a lot of chemotherapy, a stem cell rescue, a phase 2 drug trial, and radiation to his brain and spine. He fought cancer three times and his treatment spanned three states (Penn State Children Hospital in Pennsylvania, Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC, and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.) He has been off treatment since November of 2013. The Kratzer's favorite THON memory was experiencing THON for the very first time, and the bonds they make every year with ABT.

In their free time, they love working together on LEGO sets, playing animal crossing, board games, watching movies and playing with their dogs.

The quote that was chosen was “From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it; from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.” Collin, you are such an inspiration to Altoona Benefiting THON!

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We are the Meese Family. Our kids are Hunter and Peityn. Our first THON was in 2007. We are from Mount Wolf, PA.

Hunter's treatment lasted 3 years and 4 months. He endured spinal taps, blood and platelet transfusions, an anaphylactic reaction, and many trips to Hershey Medical Center.

In our free time, we like to play soccer, attend soccer games, and go to the beach for summer vacation!

Our families favorite quote is "Live, laugh, love".

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We are Courtney Jarrett Family. Our family includes Stephanie, John, Courtney (27), Tiffaney (25), Zach (22), and Hailey (17). Our first THON was 2010.

After returning from cheerleading camp Courtney was feeling sick with flu like symptoms. After being taken to two local emergency rooms she was then transferred to Hershey Medical Center where she was diagnosed with leukemia. After a month and half  courageous battle Courtney passed away on July 26, 2009 at the age of 15.

Our favorite THON memory is when Courtneys sister Tiffaney danced in THON 2014 for her sister.

In our free time we like to spend quality time together and take vacations to the beach.

Favorite Quote: "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."

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We are the Getchis family. Our family includes Ron (53), Stacey (49), Avian (20), and Ryder (14). We are from Lancaster, PA and are paired with the Kinesiology Club. Our first THON was 2018!

Ryder was diagnosed with germinoma brain cancer in 2017. 4 surgeries, chemo and radiation. Cancer free. Then in 2020 he developed some vessels in his brain that were bleeding and he had to have a craniotomy. He's on the mend and doing great!

Our favorite THON memory is being able to be on the floor and encourage our club dancers!

In our free time, we like to fish and boat.

Our favorite quote is no one fights alone.

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We are the Dominique Bigler Family. Our family consists of Dominique (26, forever 19), Natasha (22), Marsha, and Gary We are from Waynesboro, VA, and we are paired with Navigators! Our first THON was in 2009.

Dominique was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma Nov. 2., 2008, she had a partial hip and femur replacement with a tumor resection, chemo, radiation all in the first 5 months. She relapsed 6 times and had multiple lung surgeries and more chemo and radiation over 6 years that so he fought cancer. She passed away August 4 ,2014 at the age of 19.

Our favorite THON memory is when Dominique was here and was singing on stage with her sister Natasha with our org Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi.

In our free time, we like camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, hanging out with our dogs

Our favorite quote is "she lived for THON and because of THON."

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We are the Felicia Rupp Family. Our family includes Kevin (58), Deanna (55), Felicia (forever 13), Calvin (30), Tabby (29), Larry (23), Lexi (21), and Lucas (18). We are from Akron, Pennsylvania, and our first THON was in 1994 (we've gone from the White Building to Rec Hall to the BJC!). We are paired with the Penn State College of Medicine.

We have a big family, including Felicia's 7 brothers and sisters and 7 nieces and nephews with one more on the way. Felicia's brother just graduated from Penn State in 2020, her sister will graduate in 2022 and her youngest brother in 2024.  WE ARE!  Penn State has been a large part of our life but THON is the best part of it.  Felicia loved coming to THON and that's when it was in the White Building and she loved the Slides of Strength the most, getting right down on the floor and massaging the dancers! Thanks for all you do and FTK!!

We don't have a specific memory but we enjoy spending most of our time on the floor supporting the dancers and watching all the action on the stage!

Before Covid, we liked going to baseball games, taking trips to the beach, hiking and doing daytrips around our area.

Our favorite quote is "keep hope alive always!"

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We are the Grab Family. Our family includes John, Maria, and Hailee (4). We are from Harrisburg, PA, and we're paired with the Sapphire Group. Our first THON was in 2019!

Hailee was born September 30, 2016. Four days later on October 4, 2016, she was placed in our home and hearts as a foster child. Then on March 15, 2019, to our great joy, Hailee became our adopted child! She has been a joy and a blessing to us since day one!

Our favorite THON memory is when Hailey could visit the animal shelter through the Explorer's Program- PAWS.

In our free time, we like to dance in our living room, watch movies, play games.

Our favorite quote is "Tomorrow is another day to play another way."

We are so impressed with the THON students at Penn State! Thank you for everything you do to help the kids! It much appreciated! A special shoutout to Sydney Asencio and the Sapphire Group- you guys are the best!

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Hi! We are the Zachary Long family, and we are paired with Club Lacrosse. Zach (21), Tyler (19), Dennis, and Shelly joined our THON family in 2020. They are from Slatington, PA.
Zach was diagnosed with APL Leukemia November 2018, his freshman year at PSU State College. He completed treatment and returned to State College in August of 2019.  Zach first mission was to join a THON org and give back to the Four Diamond Foundation. Zach danced in THON 2020 for Hershey Kisses, only 6 months out of treatment. Zach is also a Lion Ambassador for Penn State.
Zach’s favorite THON memory was dancing in THON 2020. Their favorite way to spend time as a family is watching sporting events on their deck. Their message to the THON community is “THON is such an amazing community. We are so thankful for everything you all do!”

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We are the Munger family. Our family includes Emma (15), Wyatt (20), Mike (46), and Kellie (44). We are from Robesonia, and our first THON will be this year, 2021! We are paired with the PSU Cheerleaders.

Emm was diagnosed on 11/1/2019 with high risk B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She was 14yrs old and a 9th grade Cheerleader.

Our favorite THON memory is the interactions with the students.

In our free time, we like to play games!

Our family's favorite quote is "Even if you don’t like it, you’re gonna like it” (This is our funny quote).

We will forever be grateful FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!