Thon Express

Janet Berg  

I was involved in THON 1996 – 1998 as a captain on the Overall Social Committee. I believe this is now referred to as the Hospitality committee. Basically, we were responsible for getting food and beverages donated for THON weekend for dancers and families as well as some of the ancillary events such as the family carnival, mall events, etc.  I had a friend growing up that I became close with once we attended Penn State together- Elise Gombos. She had participated on this committee during our freshman year (1995) and she encouraged me to apply for the following year. She is someone that I had gone to school with my entire life, and she herself had battled Hodgkin’s disease when we were in high school. Elise couldn’t stop talking about what a great event Dance Marathon was, and my experience on the sidelines that year along with her involvement inspired me to apply the following year. I was instantly hooked and it was probably one of the single most important things I have ever been a part of- even to this day.  After graduation, Elise and I lost touch, as many people do between jobs and relocating and day to day activities. I heard through the grapevine that she had been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer a few years later. We managed to find each other again through a social networking site, and kept in contact through emails and plans to get together when I returned home. She was doing well and in good health, continuing to support the fight against cancer through her efforts as a top-10 fund-raiser for the Philadelphia edition of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer Cure in 2006 and 2007.  Elise passed away very suddenly this summer, and though we all miss her dearly, I would like to make sure that we keep her memory alive and continue to support events and causes that were so important to her. She was only 31 years old, but what she accomplished and contributed to the world and the effect that she had on people’s lives cannot be expressed in words. I regret the brief period of time that I was not in contact with her, and I realize I cannot get that back, however, I am happy that I was lucky enough to have her as a friend and confidant in my life. I would like to run THON Express this year in memory of my friend, and hope that I can make half the impact on someone else that she had on me.