Morale committee raises Thon awareness

The 1998 Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon sponsored "THON Dinner Theater" from 4:30 to 6:30 last night at Findlay Commons in East Halls.

"This dinner is to help bring dance marathon to the student body who may not otherwise be exposed to dance marathon," Overall Public Relations Chairwoman Emily Sharretts said. "We realize that a lot of people who live in East Halls are freshmen and we want them to realize how wonderful dance marathon is."

Francesca Ifantiedes (freshman-prelaw) said she found out about Thon through involvement with her sorority, Chi Omega, 101 South Haller.

"Dance marathon is obviously such a huge part of Penn State philanthropy and Greek life that students need to be aware of the true underlying meaning of it all, which is helping the kids," Ifantiedes said.

"You can dance, you can raise money by getting pledges, you can be in public relations or security," Ifantiedes said.

Last year, the East Halls event just included the morale committee appearing at dinner in the commons, said Dan Stone, a captain on the morale team who organized the dinner theater.

"Now it's more of a promotion to increase Thon awareness," said Stone (junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management).

Besides presenting a history of Thon and the Four Diamonds Fund, which receives the proceeds from Thon, the Thon committee also invited a family who has coped with cancer to the dinner theater, Stone said.

Barry Zepp, State College resident, and his two sons, Nicholas and Tyler, were invited to speak briefly during the dinner theater about Nicholas' diagnosis of leukemia at age 3.

"From the very beginning, the Four Diamonds people were there," Barry Zepp said.

Nicholas Zepp is now 14 years old and his leukemia has been in remission for six years.

"(The people from the Four Diamonds Fund) were always there to provide something to do while you were in the hospital and to keep you busy," Nicholas Zepp said. "It kind of makes you feel good that other people care."

Laura Florio (freshman-international business and marketing) said the event would encourage students to become involved with Thon next year.

"I think it's incredible to see people of this age all together and getting so spirited for such a great cause," she said.