Years of Thon are bringing one Four Diamonds child to Penn State in the fall.

Derek Baurer, of Lancaster, has been sponsored by Penn State's yearbook, La Vie, for the last 10 years, and has participated in many Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon events.

Now that Derek is older, he likes splitting his time at Thon between the dancers and outside events relating to Thon.

"He really loves athlete hour," said Carolyn Baurer, Derek's mother. "Last year, his wish was playing with the football team, and that was the highlight [of the trip]."

In the fall, Derek enjoys traveling to Happy Valley to watch football games with his friends, so athlete hour naturally appealed to him.

"Meeting the football team was pretty neat, because I am a fan," Derek said. "I was able to meet Zach Mills and Shawn Mayer. I got to play catch with them."

The Baurers also took part in the individual Lion Ambassador tours provided for Thon. The tour was directly aimed at Derek's interest in engineering and the buildings in which those classes are held.

"Last year, we took a tour with one of the Lion Ambassadors before he started the application process," Carolyn said. "I think that he feels like [Penn State] is a part of him because of Thon, and it definitely had an impact on picking his schools."

On top of his interest in engineering, Derek plays golf in his free time as well as working in the café of a retirement village.

Derek was diagnosed with cancer when he was 2 years old, and remained under treatment for a little over three years after that.

"I have known the family for almost 14 years now," said Kati Veety (graduate-integrative biosciences). "My brother and Derek were diagnosed at the same time."

Veety has had the opportunity to go to Thon with the Baurers for years now.

"It's fun to go and see that they are raising money because the Four Diamonds paid so many bills for my family and their family," said Veety. "It was a little hard [because] family hour isn't always the best thing for us. We just come to Thon for the excitement."

Every year, the Baurers arrive at Thon with mixed emotions.

"We have our moments during family hour and it's always heartbreaking," Carolyn said. "We've lost friends, and Derek has lost friends that he knew when he was in the hospital."

Although the experience can sometimes be bittersweet, the Baurer family enjoys their time at Thon year after year.

"I don't know if any of those [dancers] even know what they are doing and how they affect the families," Carolyn said. "They make such an impact on the families."

The comfort that State College and Penn State have brought to the Baurer family has even effected their children.

Even after being accepted at Drexel University, Derek chose Penn State.

"It's one of the top engineering schools," Derek said. "It's a neat school too and I am looking forward to going [here] in the fall."

With his father being an engineering alumnus from Penn State and Thon under his belt, it is only natural for him to choose Penn State.

Derek will arrive in August with his dancing shoes and his goal of receiving a degree in architectural engineering.