Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon committee members disputed a Penn State student's recent assertion that Thon funds are inappropriately allocated to cell phones and celebrity transportation.

While most philanthropic organizations spend 20 percent of their budgets on operating expenses, Thon spent 6.4 percent of its budget on such expenses last year, said Patty Hoffmann, Thon public relations chair.

"We never spend anything unless what we make from it exceeds what we spend," Hoffmann said.

She said Thon agonizes over the money it spends. Cell phones are not paid for by Thon funds, but are donated to Thon by AT&T Wireless, said Jayme Rubright, Thon overall chair. AT&T lends Thon the phones to use between homecoming and the summer, and AT&T does not charge them for the minutes they use. In a letter to the editor earlier this month, Ann Garnett Massey (senior-public relations) called Thon an "ego boost." She criticized spending money on promoting celebrities rather than donating that money to the sponsored families.

Massey said she heard a cast member of MTV's The Real World would come to Penn State to promote Thon.

"To me, a Real World cast member isn't a real celebrity," she said. "I don't see how a Real World celebrity is going to get publicity." One of Thon's goals is to gain more national recognition, something that celebrity representation may accomplish, could result in more funding from across the nation, Hoffmann said.

Thon does not expect to use its own funds to transport celebrities. The Student Travel Association may provide the money, or money may be used from a car wash held by the celebrity recruitment committee last month, Rubright said. Some celebrities representing Thon might include sports figures and personalities from MTV and Nickelodeon, although Hoffmann declined to say who they would be.

Massey said some students involved in Thon have e-mailed her and even called her to agree with her position. Other responses have not been so favorable. "Based on the responses I've gotten and the way I've been treated on campus, it's confirmed what I wrote in my letter," she said. "They wouldn't be so concerned about their image if it was just about the kids."

One of Massey's friendships ended after writing her letter, she said. "I didn't know it would have had that much of an impact," she said.

Anyone disagreeing with Thon's money raising can attend a Thon meeting to see first hand how financial decisions are made, Rubright said.

"We are happy to talk about how we raise and spend money because we're so proud of it," she said.