At 8:00 p.m. sharp on Friday, April 10, 135 dancers and overalls (club officers) took to their feet in support of childhood cancer victims for Mini-THON. THON, a long-standing tradition at Penn State, is an annual event in which students partner with the Four Diamonds Foundation for a 46-hour dance marathon fundraiser that generates tens of millions of dollars each year.
State High’s Mini-THON is a 12-hour dance marathon modeled after the Penn State staple and raises tens of thousands of dollars annually through a variety of fundraisers that all contribute to Penn State’s THON total for the next year since its inception in 2018. Dancers have to remain standing for the entire 12 hours while having the option to compete in various games and participate in other planned activities, all around the 2026 theme of “Dancing through Darkness.”
The club experienced new challenges associated with not having an advisor for the first part of the year. Senior and club Co-President Lauren Krentzman detailed some of their struggles this year.
“Well, this year we had a lot of adversity, and we had to overcome a lot of challenges because we didn’t have an advisor at the beginning of the year, and that halted a lot of our fundraisers, and some of our fundraisers that did really well in the past didn’t do very well this year… So this year, we had to have a lot of individual fundraising. I think personally I reached out to more people and asked to have their help, and I think a lot of personal connections…really helped,” Krentzman said.
Other challenges this year included fewer dancers than in previous years, as noted by several students, which could have been influenced in part by the organizational struggles with finding an advisor. Regardless, senior and Fundraising Overall Nate Will maintained an optimistic view when interviewed early in the night.
He was pleased with the success of some of the more traditional fundraising efforts he helped lead, including the pink out football game and restaurant fundraisers. Additionally, Will pointed to the night-of fundraisers, such as “jail,” where attendees could pay two dollars to send their friends away for five minutes. The Fundraising Overall also shared excitement toward the grand total reveal at the end, as even he didn’t yet know how much the event had raised.
“The amount that we’ve raised [is my proudest accomplishment]. Last year we raised over $36,000; this year we’re hoping to break that, and if we do that’ll be my greatest thing; if we can break that,” Will said.
The main source of fundraising for Mini-THON, in addition to general donations, is the $50 minimum fundraising threshold required of each dancer. Dancers find many reasons to stand for the cause, whether it’s a personal connection to pediatric cancer or to support friends who danced first. Junior Reagan Snavely shared how she got into Mini-THON to support her friends and teammates in leadership as members of the swim team.
“I think they do a really nice job, so we came out here to support them and also the cause of fighting childhood cancer,” Snavely said.
The dancer also shared her favorite aspect of the night.
“I think the line dance [is my favorite part]. They are so thoughtful with all the lyrics, and I love watching them be in their element. I think it’s fun; I think it’s really fun. I like the part at the end when they talk about ‘for the kids that is why,’ and I like their theme of dancing through darkness too,” Snavely said.
The line dance is one of the biggest traditions of both Mini-THON and Penn State’s THON, as the song and dance are performed every hour of the marathon. The lyrics seek to encapsulate some of the pop cultural events or trends that define this school year.
“They did 6-7, which is tuff. They brought up Heated Rivalry; that was a good one. I’m almost too old for this stuff at this point, like they’re bringing up memes I don’t know. They brought up the ozone layer again, which is interesting. They’ve talked about it almost every year,” four-year dancer senior Christopher Czekaj said.
A member of a large family, Czekaj was brought into Mini-THON by his older siblings, who were always a part of the event, and he hopes to join THON next year as a freshman at Penn State. He also hoped to go 10-0 in Connect 4 against his friends on the night, which did not happen.
Beyond the games and dances, music is a very important part of the event as organizers try to arrange multiple acts of live musicians. This year’s early band Luminary, organized by senior Anthony Shue, sought to follow up on the legacy of last year’s Microcosmic, led by then senior Luca Snyder. This act kept the energy up as people danced and sang along to the 2010’s pop hits that certainly were a hit among dancers and visitors alike.
“I really do [hope this will continue next year]. I kind of hope the music changes, but I don’t know. I think this is a good legacy. I think it’s fun because I’m not required to stay the whole time, but I get to see all the people that are here, and I get to hang out with my friends as long as I need to. And make music. Music is the top priority,” sophomore Luminary and previously Microcosmic member Jacob Heller said.
As the sun dawned after this long night, the dancers were able to take a seat for the first time in 12 hours for the grand total reveal. Mini-THON 2026 ended up raising its second-highest total ever, surpassing all expectations with $41,072.85.
“My favorite part of the night was when my co-president Ava [Edwards] and I had found out that we had at least hit our goal, and it was just so special and so memorable,” Krentzman said.
“Love the cause; it’s such a good cause, and it makes a true impact. It helps real people, and you can see it, and it’s just such a great thing that everyone should get involved in,” Will said regarding Mini THON.
From the line dances, the cause, the friendships formed, the games, and yes, that includes Connect 4, to the grand total at the end of the night, Mini Thon 2026 rose above adversity and was a roaring success.
