Proudly wearing his tiny Penn State jersey, 5-year-old Trent Golden threw a ball back and forth with Family Relations Captain Jay Weiss at yesterday's Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon Family Carnival.

"It doesn't get much better than this," Weiss said, as Golden tried to find the ball hidden under Weiss' shirt. "I think today, besides Thon, is the most fun these kids have."

The ninth annual Thon Family Reunion Carnival is the first Thon event of the year, where Four Diamonds families get to meet Thon volunteers.

This year, children and students played with hula hoops, ate candy, danced the electric slide and watched dance performances together in the White Building, which was colorfully decorated for this year's carnival theme, "Seuss on the Loose."

Tammy Golden, Trent Golden's mother, said this is the first year her family has been involved with Thon because her son recently finished chemotherapy and was feeling well enough to travel from York to the carnival.

Trent Golden is a child involved with The Four Diamonds Fund, a monetary and emotional support system that helps families with children who have been diagnosed with cancer. All money raised for Thon is donated to The Four Diamonds Fund.

With 71 families, this year's carnival had more families registered than in previous years, Andrew Simonelli, Thon overall special events chairman, said. Last year, 52 families registered.

Thon Overall Chair Seth Moser said the carnival is a "re-energizing" event for Thon weekend, which is scheduled for Feb. 20 to 22. "It means so much to [the children]," he said. "Obviously, the monetary support means a lot, but it's physical proof of how much these students care about them."

During the carnival, Moser gave a speech to the crowd of about 1,100 to thank everyone for attending. "We really have the kids to thank," he said to the crowd. "These kids understand life more than I could ever pretend to."

Morale Captain Aryn Gabai jumped up and down as he waited to go onstage to perform last year's line dance.

Gabai, who was wearing a lime green shirt that read "we'll be there for you" on the back, said the carnival is about "giving hope, energy and enthusiasm to kids who are getting treatment and going through this horrible time in their lives."

Eleven-year-old Taylor Bradley danced along with the morale captains.

She remembered every move from last year's line dance, which she said was her favorite part of Thon in 2004.

Taylor Bradley's mother, Shari Bradley, said her daughter was diagnosed with cancer in January 2003, and this is the family's second trip to the Thon family carnival. "It's important to us as well as Taylor," Shari Bradley said. "It makes her day. She's been looking so forward to this."

This year's Thon logo, which includes its theme, "Embracing Dreams, Sharing Tomorrow," was unveiled at the end of the carnival.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the curtain fell, revealing an icon of an adult and a child putting a star together.

As the event concluded, Tammy Golden stood near her husband, who carried Trent Golden on his shoulders.

"I love it," Tammy Golden said of the logo as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Here I am, crying at a picture. It's just all the thought that goes into it."