UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Luke Winand’s motivation to fight pediatric cancer stems from fourth grade when his classmate lost his battle with leukemia.
Bereaved of a friend, the senior majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science has been active in pediatric cancer organizations since elementary school. Participating in Penn State THON was no question when he arrived at Penn State.
“Pediatric cancer is something no one, no family, no child, should have to go through and we are helping to hopefully make a future where no one has to face that,” Winand said. “I want to do as much as I can to make that possible.”
For more than a decade, the College of Earth and Mineral Science has been supporting THON through the student-run organization EMS Benefiting THON, by relentlessly fundraising, providing emotional support, and devoting time to bond with their four families: the Woods, the Brewers, the Schmidts and the Swegers.
Three words that immediately come to mind when Winand describes EMS Benefiting THON are: passionate, strong and enthusiastic. Last year, the organization raised $41,704.52. This year, students continue the fight against pediatric cancer through events like blanket-making for those battling cancer, designing an EMS-themed calendar, food and merchandise fundraisers, planning weekend trips with the families and penny wars.
“No effort is too small. Even if you are only getting $10 donations, it still adds up to this huge total we get at the end,” Winand said. “It’s taught me that even though there are so many people involved in THON, even small organizations can have such a huge impact.”
In 2022, THON raised $13,756,374.50 for the Four Diamonds Fund, which supports children and their families grappling with pediatric cancer.
Winand said he knew that he wanted to do as much as he could for THON throughout his four years at Penn State. This year, he’ll be dancing for 46 hours alongside three other EMS seniors — Kaitlin Kitch, Alana Sweeney and Jordan Thibodeaux — representing EMS Benefiting THON. They’ll be supported by moralers, other students and staff in EMS, and their four families.
“When you're close with the people that you're involved with, especially in something like THON, it makes it so much more special because you're working together, having fun and making memories,” Winand said. “That’s what I'm going to carry the most from THON after graduation; it's the relationships and that I've gained and the memories I have from THON weekend in general. Being a dancer is going to be one of the most impactful things — one of the most rewarding things — that I can do as a Penn State student.”
Growing to become a part of each family’s story, Winand reflects on the personal influence that the organization has made on his college experience, as well as the influence that THON has as a whole on the campus-wide fight against pediatric cancer.
“What I really love about THON is that we all have our families and we see what our efforts do to impact these families and these children,” Winand said. “It's not even just the families that are paired with us, it's the families you see THON weekend, and throughout the year.”
To Winand, THON is much more than a normal pediatric cancer philanthropy, as the dance marathon’s unified and electric atmosphere culminates a year-long effort to support each family’s battle against cancer.
“I think it's just one of the most impactful organizations that you can get involved in on campus here at Penn State because you're not just impacting families and children who were dealing with it now, but you're also impacting families and children that might face it in the future,” Winand said.
THON begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, at the Bryce Jordan Center and continues through Sunday, Feb. 19. Students interested in getting involved in EMS Benefiting THON can visit the EMS Benefiting THON website for more information.
To support EMS Benefiting THON, visit the giving page.