Penn State breaks THON fundraising record with over $17 million
For the first time ever, Penn State’s THON fundraising total surpassed $17 million raised in the fight against pediatric cancer.
The IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon’s exact total was $17,737,040.93 — beating THON 2024’s record-breaking total of $16,955,683.63 by more than $780,000, the university announced Sunday.
THON is the world’s largest student-run philanthropy that aims to provide emotional and financial support to Four Diamonds families who have been impacted by childhood cancer.
The 46-hour no-sleeping, no-sitting dance marathon began at 6 p.m. Friday and ended at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Bryce Jordan Center. This year, more than 700 students danced, Penn State said.
Since 1977, THON has raised more than $236 million for Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, according to the university.
The last 10 years of THON fundraising totals, according to Four Diamonds, include:
2025: $17,737,040.93
2024: $16,955,683.63
2023: $15,006,132.46
2022: $13,756,374.50
2021: $10,683,078.62
2020: $11,696,942.38
2019: $10,621,683.76
2018: $10,151,663.93
2017: $10,045,478.44
2016: $9,770,332.32
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.