At the sixth annual Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon Family Reunion Carnival yesterday, Four Diamonds Fund families and Thon committee members witnessed the unveiling of the 2002 Thon logo, ". . .with all your heart."

Megan Henry (senior-graphic design) designed the logo, which features a stick figure carrying a heart over its shoulder.

"This was a difficult task, to create an identity for such an event with a theme relating to this audience; I hope you all like it," Henry said before the assembly.

From noon to 4 p.m. yesterday, the White Building gym was transformed into "Planet Thon," the theme of this year's carnival.

The out-of-this-world fantasyland consisted of games and entertainment to celebrate the beginning of the 2002 Thon season. With the abundance of excitement and Thon spirit, the dancers themselves seemed to be the only thing missing.

"The carnival is meant to reunite Four Diamonds families with their student organizations and with each other," said Kate Watson, receptions captain and chief organizer of the event.

"With all the kids running around, this really makes you see why you're doing Thon," Watson said.

The children of about 50 Four Diamonds families enjoyed games and activities run by the Thon committees and the top money raisers from last year's dance marathon.

"My favorite thing was bowling," said 5-year-old Samantha Geroski, in reference to Alpha Omicron Pi's "cosmic bowling" booth. Geroski, a Four Diamonds child, enjoyed the carnival with her 6-year-old brother Jacob, who seconded her opinion while they munched on giant chocolate chip cookies.

"This is an amazing way for the children to have familiar faces to see when they come back for Thon," said Geroski's Penn State pal Sara Beth Hoover (senior-communications disorders).

Throughout the day, morale captains performed line dances from previous years, with music provided by legendary Thon disc jockey Larry Moore. Those who remembered the steps danced along with them, cheered on by the crowd.

Most of the families came together on buses from Hershey, said Sara Schimmer, assistant coordinator of the Four Diamonds fund.

"All the activity and excitement is blowing me away," Schimmer said of her first carnival experience. "It's nice to see a day when all the kids are smiling, a break from treatment for them to have fun. The students make the kids feel like little celebrities," she said.

Though she was not a newcomer to the carnival, 8-year-old Chelsea Dalton said she was having a "great time" playing games and that she enjoyed seeing her Penn State friends.

"I'm excited to come back for Thon," Dalton said.