SAVE THE DATE:  Thursday, January 28 at 7:30PM! 

In an effort to raise funds for THON 2021, our chapter is joining forces with the Los Angeles and San Diego chapters for a Virtual Comedy Night. Laugh your socks off in this event with segments from fantastic comedians including:

• Nanciann Horvath
• Sean Grant
• Pat Colicchio
• & more!

Admission to the event will be $10 per person and all proceeds will benefit Penn State THON.

Meet our Chapter Fundraisers:

Although THON will be virtual in 2021, fundraising goes on as normal. Thousands of students, alumni and alumni chapters will do all they can For the Kids this winter. Your Orange County-Inland Empire Chapter is no exception. We have two alumnae joining the cause.

• Lauren Nelson ’18 is the OCIEA Team Captain. Lauren started her passion for THON as the Development Director for THON 2018. She is currently a board member of the Penn State Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group (DMAIG). Originally from DuBois, PA, Lauren moved to SoCal in 2019 to advance her career. She joined the OCIEA Chapter board as a Young Alumni Ambassador and our Community Service chair. She enjoys all things Blue and White and shares a PSU degree with other family members. She also has a passion for music, surfing and National Parks exploration. To donate to Lauren on behalf of and the Chapter:
  https://donate.thon.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=39099
• Judy Donina Wolfe ’70 first learned about Dance Marathon from her son, David Wolfe ’94, when he was a THON dancer, and she sent him some socks. Since then, she has been a fundraiser for Lights Camera Cure, the highly successful L.A. based THON event for 5 years and personally raised hundreds of dollars FTK. Judy has been on the chapter board since 1990 in many roles. She is from Monongahela PA and has lived in CA since 1970, one week after her graduation from PSU. To donate to Judy on behalf of the chapter: ​
  https://donate.thon.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=39137

What is THON:

THON is a student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer. THON’s mission is to provide emotional and financial support, spread awareness, and ensure funding for critical research—all in pursuit of a cure.

The first THON was held in 1973 in the HUB with 78 dancers participating. Since then, THON has grown to involve more than 16,500 student volunteers, 700+ dancers, and is now held in the Bryce Jordan Center — making the world’s largest student-run philanthropy.

THON’s sole beneficiary is Four Diamonds at Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey, PA. THON has raised more than $180 million for Four Diamonds and their efforts to conquer childhood cancer. Four Diamonds offsets the cost of treatment that insurance does not cover, as well as expenses that may affect the welfare of the child. Four Diamonds also funds groundbreaking research being conducted at Penn State Children’s Hospital, so no parent has to hear the words “your child has cancer.”