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Annual Team FTK Dance-A-Thon unites 122 students in a 16-hour effort to support Four Diamonds and families battling pediatric cancer

��ҹ������Ʒ���� students came together for the annual Team FTK dance-a-thon, a 16-hour event dedicated to raising funds and awareness for children battling pediatric cancer. Partnering with Four Diamonds, the same organization supported by Penn State's THON, the student-led initiative continues to grow in impact and participation.

This year, 122 students participated, including 87 dancers who committed to raising funds in the lead-up to the event. Together, they raised $12,002.50, surpassing last year's total of $11,379 and further supporting pediatric cancer research and families in need.

"This event means so much to me, and I feel so blessed to run this event for the second year now," said Hailey Keperling, president of Alvernia Team FTK (For the Kids). "Saturday's event was a celebration of all the countless hours and late nights, the eight other amazing student leaders and I have poured into Team FTK since August. To know that the work we are doing may one day be the answered prayer a family is hoping for inspires me to continue fighting for a cure and for a better future for all these children."

Throughout the night, students participated in a variety of activities designed to keep energy high and spirits strong. The event began with a kickoff and family hour, followed by activities such as a pep rally, Zumba, pickleball and basketball tournaments, line dancing, and a nostalgia-themed hour. As the night continued, students supported one another through the early morning hours with events like a scavenger hunt and coffee hour, leading up to the final moments of the dance-a-thon.

“I’ve always had a passion for supporting the Four Diamonds mission, dating back to my involvement with Mini-THON in middle and high school,” said Associate Director of Student Activities Felicia Nelson. “The Dance-a-Thon itself is truly student-driven; our students planned the entire weekend and continuously found creative ways throughout the year to raise funds. My role was simply to support and empower them, which speaks to the strength of our student leaders and the opportunities they have to bring their ideas to life on campus.”

One of the most impactful moments of the night came at 4 a.m., when dancers received more than 120 letters of encouragement written by faculty, staff, and the Bernardine sisters, Alvernia’s foundresses. The letters motivated students to push through the final hours of the event.

"One-hundred students stood for 16 hours, not for themselves, but for the kids who fight every single day against pediatric cancer," said Claire Campbell, vice president of Team FTK. "As a leader of Alvernia Team FTK, we stood to honor their courage, to support their families, and to prove that when a community comes together, hope is stronger than any diagnosis. For the kids, for the families, and for a future without pediatric cancer, this is why we stand."