Penn State's THON Raises Nearly $11.7 Million In Fight Against Pediatric Cancer In 2020
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (CBS/AP) -- Students at Penn State danced their way to raise more than $11.5 million for pediatric cancer this weekend. The annual 46-hour dance marathon THON in State College raised nearly $11.7 million in 2020, organizers announced Sunday afternoon.
And the total for THON 2020, Journey Together, is...$11,696,942.38! pic.twitter.com/BnOm0MTBcl
— Penn State THON™ (@THON) February 23, 2020
The exact figure? $11, 696,942.38.
Money raised benefits pediatric cancer patients and their families at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Child cancer survivors and their families also participate along with the dancers, who aren't allowed to sleep or even sit and are helped by thousands of other students in support roles.
The amount raised this year was more than $1 million over last year's total. The 2019 event brought in more than $10. 5 million.
Before this year's event, officials said the dance marathon had raised more than $168 million since 1973.
THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)