Penn State Law students to dance for 46 hours straight raising funds for pediatric cancer research

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Two Penn State Law students will be among the 700 dancers staying awake and on their feet for 46 hours straight this weekend at the annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. Third-year students Jeff Gdovin and Marcy McLaughlin will take to the dance floor at the Bryce Jordan Center at 6 p.m. on Friday, wrapping up a year’s worth of preparation and fundraising.

Penn State’s Dance Marathon, better known as THON, is one of the University’s greatest traditions and the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Since 1977, the event has raised more than $114 million in the fight to find a cure for pediatric cancer.

Penn State Law has been home to an official THON student organization since 2005, but last year was the first year a team from the law school participated as dancers. The result was more than $12,000 raised by the law school community, contributing to last year’s record-breaking overall total of $13,343,517.33.  

THON is more than just a weekend-long event in February, though, with an entire year of preparation, fundraising, and awareness building for the cause. Penn State Law’s THON organization raised funds through a variety of activities throughout the year, including canning trips, T-shirt sales, and THONvelopes, a partnership with Phi Delta Phi that solicits THON donations from friends, family, other prospective donors.

Penn State Law’s THON organization is still accepting donations online, and welcomes moral support all weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The event streams live online starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday.