News Release

Four students to participate in THON

February 19, 2008

Four Penn State Harrisburg students are breaking in their dancing shoes and catching up on their sleep as they prepare to head for University Park to represent the college in the 36th annual IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon to raise funds in the fight against pediatric cancer.

As it is commonly called, THON is set for Feb. 22 to 24 in the Bryce Jordan Center and is the culmination of a year-long fundraising event to benefit the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey.  This year’s THON theme is “Hope Finds a Way.”

The largest student-run philanthropy in the world, THON has raised more than $46 million in its history and last year netted a record $5.2 million.

The four Penn State Harrisburg students who will be participating in the two-day, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon are:  Adam Porter, Augie Bravo, Maruja Rosario, and Matthew Mahoney.

Porter is a sophomore majoring in public policy. A Harrisburg resident and graduate of Central Dauphin High School, he says, “Having participated in mini-thons and having a couple of friends who were Four Diamonds kids, dancing in Thon is always something I wanted to do.”

Bravo is a graduate student pursuing an MBA and holds an undergraduate degree in information systems from Penn State Harrisburg. A Marine Corps combat veteran and resident of Middletown, he is employed as a test engineer by the Nielsen Company.  He says, “I have chosen to dance at THON because I believe in helping others and I feel that there is no one more deserving of time and assistance than children. A child’s laughter, love, and smile are unconditional and we should make every effort to keep that innocence alive.”

Mahoney, a communications major and Harrisburg resident, first became involved in THON as a supporter in 2006 and 2007 and now has the opportunity dance this year. “I really want to be a dancer because having been a supporter for the past couple years was a life-changing experience,” he says. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to stand alongside my fellow students and show our support and determination in taking a stance to fight childhood cancer.”

Mahoney’s wife is a nurse at the Hershey Medical Center and works “on the very hallway where THON kids receive treatment,” he adds.