On February 20th, 2011 at the Bryce Jordan Center, thousands of hopefully children, parents, students, and volunteers stood on their feet at the end of 2011’s Penn State IFC and Panhellenic Dance Marathon, patiently waiting for the announcement of the total money that was raised for the 2011 season. As the number $9,563,016.09 was revealed, everyone started jumping up and down in joy, some even in tears because of the emotional moment. The largest student-run philanthropy in the world had another record breaking year raising money for the Four Diamonds Fund, a charity that benefits children with pediatric cancer.
A Brief History of THON
THON was first started in the HUB ballroom in 1973 as a dancing competition for couples and individuals. It's inception year raised a humble $2,136. Bleachers in the stand were first introduced in 1977 to allow audiences and supporters to be in the stands to cheer for the dancers. Then it was moved to the White Building in 1979, as the event saw the number of dancers increased from 56 in 1978 to 571 in 1998 at the White Building. Then in 1999 the event took another positive turn as it was moved to the Recreational Hall. In 2007 THON was moved to the Bryce Jordan Center where it has been accommodating more than 700 dancers and thousands of supporters each year ever since. This past year THON was able to raise an outstanding $9,563,016.
Four Diamonds Fund
The Four Diamonds Fund is the Hershey Medical Center’s main charity which benefits pediatric cancer research, care, and treatment. It has been partnered with THON for many years and was originally started by in honor of Chris Millard by his parents.
At age 14, Chris passed away from childhood cancer. During the previous school year, his class was given an assignment to write about each of their summers. Rather than describe his time in the hospital, Chris wrote a story about a knight seeking the “four diamonds” of courage, honesty, wisdom, and strength. In the story, Millard lives in King Arthur’s world and is trying to free the land of the Evil Witch by unlocking the diamonds.
By 1979, THON had adopted the Four Diamonds Fund as its official beneficiary raising $29,000 that year and the partnership has continued ever since.
Technology for as long as Man has known has made complicated tasks easier. Within the last decade alone the technological advances made have allowed for mass organization at unprecedented speeds as well as opened up new mediums that help individuals donate. Penn State's THON is an exemplary organization that has utilized such technologies in order to grow and become the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the nation.
As the chart shown below, there’s been a sharp increase in the money total since the late 1990’s. And in general, there was a trend of a higher money total each year after year. We believe that this trend of a boom in the 1990’s is due to the use of internet, Facebook, Twitter, texting, webcast, Youtube, and other technologies used to increase awareness and lower the difficulties and procedures needed for donations. By looking at the numbers from how many dancers, supporters and volunteers who are involved in THON, there is also a trend with a growing number over the year.
Technology
This years THON Tech Captain, Adam Bogovich, gave us some insight on technology's role in THON,
"Technology has benefited THON throughout the last few years because of a few major reasons. Social media has been a major player throughout the whole world and THON is no exception. THON’s Facebook page has about 5,000 friends and their Twitter page has over 10,000 followers. All of these people, and many more, are completely up-to-date on everything that is going on within the THON community. I believe that one of the main reasons for the large bounds in THON’s totals over the last few years has been the annual advancement of the technological aspects of THON."
This years THON Tech Captain, Adam Bogovich, gave us some insight on technology's role in THON,
"Technology has benefited THON throughout the last few years because of a few major reasons. Social media has been a major player throughout the whole world and THON is no exception. THON’s Facebook page has about 5,000 friends and their Twitter page has over 10,000 followers. All of these people, and many more, are completely up-to-date on everything that is going on within the THON community. I believe that one of the main reasons for the large bounds in THON’s totals over the last few years has been the annual advancement of the technological aspects of THON."
We believe that this drastic increase from the beginning to now is correlated with the use of:
- The Internet
- As you sit there and read this blog, I'm sure you'll agree that the Internet is one of the defining inventions of our Years from its immense capacity for sharing information and connecting with people beyond geographic boundaries.
- Facebook was another powerful resource for THON this past year. Not only did it help keep followers abreast of information in a similar way as Twitter, but it also assisted in directing supports to real-world fundraisers. For example, the THON Public Relations team created Facebook events for Rita’s and Philly Pretzel THON nights in order to translate the online-support into real-world support. According to Jony Rommel, PR Overal, THON also used Facebook to interact with THON families more often since most are online now and also created photo albums to share pictures and videos from events all year.
THON heavily utilized Twitter this year to expand the organization's reach financially. This medium was often used to announce THON events and updates, according to Jony Rommel, the THONTHON heavily utilized Twitter this year to expand the organization's reach financially. This medium was often used to announce THON events and updates, according to Jony Rommel, the THON Public Relations Overall. THON frequently made shoutout's to other school's THON's such as Uconn and Ohio's. Additionally, THON would "tweet" pediatric cancer facts. These Activities accomplished two tasks by simultaneously educating current twitter followers and creating content to generate new followers. In addition to the increased awareness, Twitter also helped to raise money. THON paired with an organization called "BeatCancer" which donated to THON a certain amount of money for each of the new follower THON drove to that organization. THON was able to raise over $4000 in under a few hours. Lastly, THON also used Twitter to make direct donation appeals. For example, THON would often"tweet" something along the lines of "Donate $___ now to pay for one hour of musical therapy." The direct appeal with a specific dollar amount was successful according to Jony Rommel.
- Youtube has allowed people to upload their own videos on the web. THON has utilized this internet medium by creating promotional videos to raise the awareness of THON.
Courtney Bentz, an entertainment captain, had this to say about videos,
"I think videos have taken outreach and publicity for THON to a whole new level. We live in such a media based society with access to so much information through the internet that having the capabilities to post videos on all sorts of locations allows us to create a stronger following. I definitely think it impacts the total, I am sure it has significantly increased our total. I think the fact that we have the availability of these technology sources has really helped THON grow to the level it is at now."
- Webcasting
- THON had a live feed of this year's dance marathon for the whole 46 hours of dancing so Penn Staters and supporters alike could tune in from around the World. The THON Tech committee had this to say on webcasting,
"During THON Weekend we use several different technologies to bring THON to all of the people that cannot be in State College for the event. During the weekend, there is a splash page that is automatically viewed when THON.org is visited. This page has direct links to two different video broadcasts of everything going on as well as a video blog and a written blog that anybody on the floor can use. Being able to watch all of the events during THON weekend, the national awareness is built and it brings people to the on-line donation area."
- Texting
- People can now text in their donations creating a new from of donating that transcends geographic obstacles and makes it easier for whoever wants to donate for the kids.
- DVD
- DVD Sales of this past year's THON have continued to add to the fund post dance marathon. According to Courtney Bentz, an entertainment captain in charge of DVD's and making videos, DVD sales have added an extra few thousand a couple of years since it's inception in 1994.
Websites like Facebook and Twitter have allowed for getting information out to the public at unprecedented speeds. Facebook newsfeeds are dominated by THON announcements on canning weekends and throughout the duration of the THON marathon. Several THON captains feel that communication through Facebook is an both effective, efficient, and sometimes more practical than email. THON Facebook groups have let smaller groups within THON coordinate and manage their own group projects on a smaller scale. Also Twitter alone has an unbelievable publicity capacity. When a celebrity “tweets” what they are thinking, notifications are sent instantaneously to their loyal followers. Many celebrities have followers by the millions. Imagine if they were to “tweet” a link to a donation fund, what kind of response that could stimulate? A link for donating just a mere dollar could have a tremendous impact on a donation fund.
A Double Edged Sword
Despite the array of benefits technology brings to THON, a few flaws can develop through the dependence on technology. One in particular was the attempt to use the new pass system in THON 2011. Before this previous year, students, friends, and family members could only enter onto the floor by checking in at a kiosk, located outside one of the portals. Because of the large volume of people wanting to get onto the floor, long lines would form outside the check-in kiosks. Waits in these lines could be as long as three hours, which caused visitor shifts to overlap, resulting in frustration and confusion. To solve this problem, the THON Technology Committee collaborated with the Rules and Regulation Team to develop and new and improved system.
The catalyst for the stress caused in the check in process was mostly due to a lack of confusion. Contrary to the previous process, the new pass system would operate on a mass text messaging system. When it was a visitor’s turn to go onto the floor, the individual would receive a text, notifying it was their turn to go onto the floor. This process would create an effective form of communication, while also eliminating the long lines in the concourse area. Unfortunately, the system failed as early as 10 p.m. on Friday and the old system was put into place. Because many people received the text message when the new system was operating, an increased level of frustration surfaced as several family and friends had to be denied. Several registered individuals also failed to receive a text in the first place.
When asked about the future of the Pass System, Adam Bogovich (THON Tech Captain) said,
"Another technological improvement to THON for this coming year is going to be a new PASS system. There was a sneak-peek of the system at last year’s THON, but if you were there during the weekend, you know that there were some kinks in the system. This coming year will see more rigorous testing, more ingenuity, and a complete system that will be fully functional by THON weekend 2012."
Realizing that there is a give and take when it comes to technology, Courtney Bentz (THON Entertainment Captain) had this to say,
"I think there are both good and bad parts in relation to technology and THON. We are very fortunate to have so much publicity and awareness about THON out there, but it also comes at a cost. THON's mission is to provide emotional and financial support to the children families researchers and staff of the Four Diamonds fund, unfortunately with publicity can also come explotation or change in focus. I think all of the publicity and outreach we have now is excellent but it is important to focus on the families and not the type of individuals we attract which is slowly becoming something we have run into. Its hard to say where I think THON would be because with how rapidly technologies advance it is impossible for THON not to follow the trend like any other large program or business. I think THON will always be following the trends of technology and hopefully growing for the better along with it."
When asked about the future of the Pass System, Adam Bogovich (THON Tech Captain) said,
"Another technological improvement to THON for this coming year is going to be a new PASS system. There was a sneak-peek of the system at last year’s THON, but if you were there during the weekend, you know that there were some kinks in the system. This coming year will see more rigorous testing, more ingenuity, and a complete system that will be fully functional by THON weekend 2012."
Realizing that there is a give and take when it comes to technology, Courtney Bentz (THON Entertainment Captain) had this to say,
"I think there are both good and bad parts in relation to technology and THON. We are very fortunate to have so much publicity and awareness about THON out there, but it also comes at a cost. THON's mission is to provide emotional and financial support to the children families researchers and staff of the Four Diamonds fund, unfortunately with publicity can also come explotation or change in focus. I think all of the publicity and outreach we have now is excellent but it is important to focus on the families and not the type of individuals we attract which is slowly becoming something we have run into. Its hard to say where I think THON would be because with how rapidly technologies advance it is impossible for THON not to follow the trend like any other large program or business. I think THON will always be following the trends of technology and hopefully growing for the better along with it."
Similar Organizations Using Technology
In the wake of a natural disaster, the Red Cross has consistently been the leader in relief efforts. By virtue of this position, it has been the trailblazer with new and innovative technologies to help aid their cause. From pioneering mobile device donations to teaming up with other Internet mediums to help the cause, the Red Cross has set many precedents for the future of mass donating.
The disaster in Haiti truly exemplified the power mobile texting donations to relief efforts. The earthquake hit Haiti on a Tuesday; the Red Cross’s mobile donation fund tallied to over 3 million dollars by Thursday morning (Ultimately reach over 5 million Dollars). The donations reached this level so quickly for several reasons. First, It was a terrible disaster and was heard about extremely soon after the fact, mainly through our constant access to media. Secondly, all anyone had to do to help out was text “Haiti” to 90999, a simple enough task that takes very little precious time and effort.
With the recent events in Japan, the Red Cross is now demonstrating the newest technology and internet services that can aid the relief effort. Apple's Itunes Store set up a donation page at which with one’s iTunes account could donate anywhere from five to two hundred dollars. The overall traffic on the iTunes Store site must be incredibly large as will it donation fund will show. Imagine if Google, the most if not one of the most used search engines, had a donation link on its homepage to help the relief aid. That additionally could result in a huge volume of donations.
The Future of THON
These are examples of where global coordination is going. It is up to THON committee members to decide what medium would be most beneficial and attainable for THON. Celebrity endorsements on Twitter or another trusted internet medium are possible options to get the word out and provide a way to donate.
Adam Bogovich (THON Tech Captain) said,
"In the next couple years, there will most likely be many more innovations; more than I can even think of myself. But, in the next year, there are going to be a couple innovations that will be introduced. The first is the new THINK system that should be implemented by early April. THINK is the system that THON Organization chairs use for registering fundraisers, dancers, trips to Hershey Medical Center, and canning spots and money drop off times. Think is also the service that contains all of the applications for Overalls, Captains, and Committee members. The new THINK system will be easier to use on both sides of the system. It will be easier to navigate on the user side and it will be easier to program on the Technology side. This should lead to more in-depth projects that can be taken on by the THON volunteers as well as making these requests filled quicker."
Courtney Bentz (THON Entertainment Captain) said,
"Technology continues to grow within THON whether it is in helping students interact more with the Four Diamonds Families or it is the way all of our events throughout the year come together. There is a lot to say and question about improvement. I think every year THON is taken to a whole knew level because we find students with newer knowledge on different more efficient ways to run and organize programs or communicate. I can not specifically say because to be honest I do not know every bit of technology out there, but in the video sense I definitely think video is going to help advance our outreach and continue to help THON expand. "
Adam Bogovich (THON Tech Captain) said,
"In the next couple years, there will most likely be many more innovations; more than I can even think of myself. But, in the next year, there are going to be a couple innovations that will be introduced. The first is the new THINK system that should be implemented by early April. THINK is the system that THON Organization chairs use for registering fundraisers, dancers, trips to Hershey Medical Center, and canning spots and money drop off times. Think is also the service that contains all of the applications for Overalls, Captains, and Committee members. The new THINK system will be easier to use on both sides of the system. It will be easier to navigate on the user side and it will be easier to program on the Technology side. This should lead to more in-depth projects that can be taken on by the THON volunteers as well as making these requests filled quicker."
Courtney Bentz (THON Entertainment Captain) said,
"Technology continues to grow within THON whether it is in helping students interact more with the Four Diamonds Families or it is the way all of our events throughout the year come together. There is a lot to say and question about improvement. I think every year THON is taken to a whole knew level because we find students with newer knowledge on different more efficient ways to run and organize programs or communicate. I can not specifically say because to be honest I do not know every bit of technology out there, but in the video sense I definitely think video is going to help advance our outreach and continue to help THON expand. "
Technology and You
Technology has seen tremendous growth in the past half century and it now permeates every aspect of our lives. Computers have become embedded into everyday tasks from communication to entertainment. It has become commonplace for cellular phones to have an internet browser, touchscreen, digital music library and access to an innumerable amount of installable applications. There is even talk of some cell phone manufactures creating phones that could be a viable replacement for credit cards in the near future. Technology is now a part of life and THON has utilized it for the better. Will you?
