Greek Orgs At THON

Penn State THON would not be the same without the Greek Organizations. Their presence in the BJC is not only visual with their enormous themed letters being displayed but also extremely powerful.

Throughout the year, the fraternities and sororities do different events to fundraise for THON. Fundraising is one of their biggest endeavors related to THON. They host several fundraising events for students and THON families such as gingerbread house decorating, haunted houses, family brunches, and more.

These efforts result in Greek Organizations raising significant donations towards the total reveal. For this year's Greek Organizations, the combined efforts of Alpha Tau Omega and Zeta Tau Alpha, raised the most funds, totaling $529,003.97.

Greek Organization involvement with THON goes beyond fundraising. The Greek Organizations at Penn State get paired with a Four Diamond family. They work closely with the family to provide support, friendship, and love.

Finance Chair for Zeta Tau Alpha Talia Flamini explains, “We really keep our families at the heart of everything we do.” During family hour when we get to hear the families stories, the paired fraternities and sororities to these families show their encouragement and love through their loud cheers and applause.

When the kids' hear this support their faces light up and you know they feel like superstars. It is so obvious that these kids look up to these organizations. The bond and love that is shared between these groups and the families is truly inspiring and heartwarming.

In the unfortunate event that a child of a paired family loses their battle too soon, the Greek Organizations continue to support the family. They will host and participate in events to remember the child’s legacy and ensure their memories live on.

Although these activities are geared to supporting the families and pediatric cancer, the fraternities and sororities gain so much as well. The process fosters many opportunities for the brothers and sisters to share their creativity, build upon their organizational and teamwork skills, and strengthen their relationships with each other.

The fraternities and sororities establish a schedule to ensure that their organizations are represented at all times during the 46 hours in the stands of the BJC to support their dancers.

Caroline, Family Relations Chair for Omega Phi Alpha explains it best, “THON weekend you’re really able to see the epitome of brotherhood and sisterhood that we share because everyone is there to support each other all while supporting the kids.” In the end, that is what it is all about, FTK!

Emily Koza is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email evk5544@psu.edu.