Frequently Asked Questions - New Student Volunteers

There are many different ways to get involved in THON. You can join a participating student organization, volunteer as a captain or committee member, start your own THON organization, attempt to dance independently, or attend any THON event throughout the year. For more information about getting involved, check out our How to Get Involved page. You can also contact John Arnao at communications@thon.org with additional questions.

There are no limits to what independently organized groups can do for THON and For The Kids! To learn more about starting your own organization, please visit this page. You can also contact John Arnao, the Communications Overall Chairperson, at communications@thon.org for more information.

Live acts are key to keeping the dancers on their feet!! Please note that we do have a limited number of live bands. If you are interested in learning more about how your band can perform at THON, please contact entertainment@thon.org. Please include the name of you band, the genre of music it plays, a description of the venues at which you have performed, your willingness to play covers, a website link (if applicable), and your phone number. Thank you for your interest in supporting THON!

No. Every student at Penn State is encouraged to get involved! There is a place for everyone in the THON community. Please visit our How to Get Involved page for more information.

If you want to dance for a specific organization, talk to that organization's THON Chair. If you are thinking of dancing independently, see our Independent Dancers page.

There are 14 committees in THON, and there is an Overall in charge of each committee. The Overall Chairperson (or "Overall Overall") is also on the Overall Committee, for a total of 15 Overalls.

Each of the 14 committees has a number of Captains - dedicated students with lots of responsibilties for THON. A list of Captain positions can be found here.

Certain Captains also have committee members under them. Committe member positions are for students who want a slightly less intensive involvement in THON. Descriptions of the committees with committtee member positions can be found here.

A THON Chair is a member within a student organization (not a position directly within THON) who coordinates all of that organization's involvement with THON. You must talk to people from your organization to learn more about becoming a THON Chair.

Click here for a list of Captain positions.

Click here for a list of all the committees in THON. When applying as a committee member, you apply only by committee - which role you have within that committee is decided later.

That depends on the committee. Some committees, such as Technology, don't even have committee members. In those cases, you can certainly start as a Captain. For certain Captain positions, prior experience in THON or on that position's committee is expected. The descriptions of Captain positions here include what prior experience, if any, is expected for each position.

The committee selection process is very competitive due to the overwhelming number of applicants. We are not able to place everyone on a committee, however there are more ways to get involved in THON. Check out the How to Get Involved section of our website for more information.

You can continue to support THON and our fight against pediatric cancer even after you’ve graduated! THON alumni play a key role in continuing to spread the message of THON and its importance to the kids and families. Alumni are encourage to join the Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group, or DMAIG. DMAIG is a university-sponsored Alumni Interest Group (AIG) designed to bring THON alumni together and keep them connected to one of Penn State's most beloved traditions. Through the DMAIG, THON alumni can continue to support regional events, compete for the opportunity to dance in THON, and keep in touch with old friends. To learn more about DMAIG, please visit their website at www.DMAIG.org.