Fund raising for the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon from October through February is commonplace at Penn State; however, some people take the efforts above and beyond the regular canning trips.

Every year, the Schreyer Honors College team, like most Thon participants, has Penny Wars. The weeklong 'war' is between each floor in Simmons and Atherton halls.

In Atherton Hall, Penny Wars has traditionally raised enormous amounts of money for Thon, said Leslie Shope, Schreyer Honors College Thon team co-chair. This surge of fund raising is almost completely because of the efforts of the ground floor, Atlas House, she added.

"It's organizations like Schreyer Honors College, who contribute a lot monetarily, that make Thon. Contributions make the whole event and make it so great," said Sean Miller, Thon overall finance chair.

Each year, the students of Atlas House, instead of collecting dues at the beginning of the year, save their money for Penny Wars. When the battle ends, they have saved up enough money to donate record amounts to Thon, a tradition that started in 2001.

"Last year, the Atlas House boys raised $1,100 alone. With the rest of the house, it was about $2,000," Shope said.

Michael Kovach, Atlas House treasurer, said residents had intended to raise more money this year than last.

"Our goal is to beat last year's $1,100, and then next year, beat the new record, so we'll just keep raising more money," Kovach said.

When the wars ended Friday at 5 p.m., Atlas House had won by raising $1,250, $150 more than last year's record. Atherton Hall raised approximately the same as last year's total of $2,000, Shope said.

Kovach said he was pleased with the results. "We exceeded our goal of $1,100. It's a lot of work, but it's for the kids. I think it was well worth the time and energy; it shows a lot about Atlas as a whole. We have a lot of heart, on a micro scale. It's much different than standing outside and asking people for money; we gave what we have. It is a really fulfilling experience," he said.

He said he organized this year's efforts with the help of Douglas Naphas, an Atherton scholar assistant who planned the penny collections in past years.

Kovach collects the money and goes to the bank for "bricks" of pennies worth $25 each, and he said people were ready for this year's battle.

"Oh, we're getting rollin'. We love the sense of competition, and it just encourages us to raise more money," he said.

Naphas said the house raises as much as it does for many reasons.

"We get excited during the week; there's the tradition aspect of it, the competitive side, and it's for charity. We like doing good things, but we also like the attention from the procession," he said.

Each year, at the last possible donation time before the end of Penny Wars, Atlas House residents march into the Atherton Hall lobby in a "ceremonial procession," each carrying a brick of pennies to lay at the table and win the competition. "It's fun to make a big deal about it; it gives us something to experience instead of just handing over our money. It's a lot more rewarding and fun that way," Kovach said.