Thon Express

Courtney Brown

My THON involvement began my freshman year at PSU, and was chosen as a Morale team member. While I was familiar with the purpose of THON, I had no idea what kind of experience I was in for; being on the floor of Rec Hall, meeting the families, hearing their inspirational stories, and playing with the children. I was hooked right away. As a sophomore, I was a Marketing Captain and was lucky to stay at Rec Hall for all 48 hours!  I was studying abroad during THON of my junior year, but was able to be a Communications team member in the fall before I left. My senior year I served as a Corporate Relations Captain, and also achieved my dream of being a THON dancer!  I raised over $2,500 and was able to dance for my sorority, an experience which, to this day, is one of my most proud and memorable. Andrew Simonelli, a past THON Express runner, was my moraler, and was the best I could have asked for.  I was also honored to receive the Rick Funk Dance Marathon Leadership Award that year.

My THON involvement didn’t end after I graduated. My younger sister Katee had come to every THON I was involved in while in college, and had caught the THON fever herself. Together, we started a THON fundraiser at our high school. I continued to go to PSU every February to cheer Katee on, and to see all the families I had gotten to know over the years.  Katee ran in THON Express in 2008, and could not speak enough of the unity of this experience, and this unique way of contributing to THON, and encouraged me to run in 2009 so that I could experience it myself.

As a third-generation Penn State graduate, I take a lot of pride in this University. But no diploma, Homecoming parade, or National Championship title gives me as much pride as THON does. I want to run in THON Express to continue supporting the Four Diamonds Fund, and to experience in a new capacity the indescribable love, hope, and camaraderie that exists among THON families and supporters. One of the best parts about THON is seeing familiar little faces return every year; hopefully healthier and even happier than the last time you saw them. But there are still too many faces that are not able to return. There are still too many families touched by this devastating disease, who find themselves having to rely on the support of strangers and a leap of faith to get through each day. While I’m honored to be one of those “strangers”, I want to run in THON Express to continue to raise money and awareness so that we are able to see more smiling faces return to THON healthy and strong, with their families knowing they are an inspiration to us all.