This is the second in a series of blog posts by Katie Solomon, a senior majoring in Criminology and Sociology. Katie is the executive director of THON 2021.
December 23, 2020
One of the largest events that THON typically holds in the fall is the 5K powered by PNC Bank. In order to keep our friends and families safe, we transitioned to a remote experience that concluded in a livestream event. In the month leading up to race day, we provided training plans, playlists, fundraising guides, merchandise, and more to participants. During the final week, we hosted our first ever the Around the World Challenge, which challenged the THON Community to collectively run 24,901 miles. This was tracked by a mobile application called Charity Miles.
We set out to accomplish this distance in order to figurately and literally spread THON’s mission around the world. At the conclusion of the event, it was revealed that not only did the 5K raise $109,644.07 but 57,279 miles were run in a week. This figure equates to two trips around the globe, plus a cool down lap!
Figures and statistics aside, one of the most beautiful things about THON is its ability to bring people together. No one could have ever predicted or prepared for hosting virtual events, yet because of the unyielding support from our community, it has been such a rewarding experience to do so. I am so thankful for all of the hard work that is contributed by our student volunteers, the love that is shared by our families, and the commitment that is demonstrated by our alumni and friends every single day.
We are now spending time at home, celebrating the holidays with our families and preparing for a remote THON Weekend. Although this has been an extreme challenge to figure out logistically, we are so excited to be able to reflect on our year together as we look forward to the day that we can dance together again, someday in celebration of a cure.
During the fall 2020 academic semester, I think it is safe to say that a majority of the Penn State community learned invaluable lessons about resilience, compassion, and innovation. We have and will continue to face hardship brought on by COVID-19, but the spirit and light of Penn Staters continues to shine through these challenges. Although I personally long for a game day in Happy Valley, I simultaneously could not imagine going through this anywhere else and have learned how to find gratitude in every experience, big or small.