During the CCE’s weekly meeting, our Senior
Staff Assistant, Tom, mentioned a documentary he had watched that moved him
deeply.
Entitled “Why We Dance”, the film chronicles
the Penn State student-run philanthropy, THON, and the children, families, and
students who are changed by their experience.
THON raises millions (nearly 80 million over the past 40 years) for pediatric cancer research and
treatment. You can watch the documentary in full below:
THON is one night filled with dance and song.
One giant dance floor where nearly 15,000 students get the chance break out
their best moves for a wonderful cause.
It’s incredible yearly event to say the
least!
This started a very interesting discussion
amongst the staff members.
Would a school like Binghamton be capable of
organizing such an event, one that is as fun as it is effective in raising such
significant funds?
Our conclusion: Of course.
It would be a lot of hard work, and require months of planning...
But the first step is simply formulating the
idea, asking around, and hoping you get people interested.
The Binghamton University campus community
has proven that they can get an event up and running.
Hillel first comes to
mind (http://www.hillelatbinghamton.org). They have successfully organized great events that draw hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of participants, while
raising money for charity and Birthrate trips.
While their numbers may not be quite as large
as Penn States, they are still respectable and commendable. But what about a
campus wide event which is hosted by multiple organizations working towards a
single fundraising goal in the name of the University? Such an event has never
been created…and the CCE thinks the Binghamton University most definitely could (and should) start the preliminary steps to ultimately create an event on the same scale as Penn State’s THON!
Look at the success that Penn State has had:
“THON was first organized in 1973 by a group
of students looking to add excitement to a dreary February in central
Pennsylvania, and for a way to give back to the community. Today, Penn State's
THON continues to be the longest dance marathon in the country lasting 46
hours. THON has grown to engage more than 15,000 students each year and has
inspired other university, high school, middle school, and elementary school
students across the nation to start dance marathons of their own all in the
hopes of conquering pediatric cancer.”
Do you think an event like THON is a good idea for BU? We sure do. Would your organization be interested helping us out?
If so, please comment below, or contact the CCE by emailing cce@binghamton.edu
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