THON organizers provide hope for a cure, says dean of PSU College of Medicine

PENN STATE, THE LARGEST STUDENT RUN PHILANTHROPY IN THE WORLD, IS BACK AT THE BRYCE JORDAN CENTER THIS WEEKEND. IT’S 46 HOURS OF A DANCE MARATHON, ALL RAISING MONEY FOR FOUR DIAMONDS, WHICH SUPPORTS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY PEDIATRIC CANCER. MONEY ALSO GOES TOWARDS RESEARCH AS WELL. THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT. SO AHEAD OF FRIDAY’S KICKOFF, WE’RE JOINED BY DOCTOR KAREN KIM. SHE’S THE DEAN OF PENN STATE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. LOVE YOUR COLOR COMBO. IT LOOKS LIKE WE TALKED TO EACH OTHER ABOUT THIS TODAY. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE MONEY THAT THIS THON RAISES. HOW DOES THAT MONEY FROM THON TRANSLATE INTO REAL WORLD MEDICAL RESEARCH FOR YOUR STAFF AND FOR STUDENTS. YEAH. SO FIRST OF ALL, THIS WEEKEND IS A PRETTY AMAZING 46 HOURS. AS YOU KNOW, ABOUT 16,000 STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN ORDER TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE KIDS. AND BASICALLY THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 1973. AND THESE FUNDS ARE REALLY VALUABLE. THEY THEY REALLY THE SOLE BENEFICIARY IS FOR DIAMONDS FOR THE PENN STATE HEALTH GOLISANO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AND THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. SO LARGELY THE FUNDS GO TO SUPPORT FAMILIES OF OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER, OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER. AND AND THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE FINANCIAL BURDEN SO THEY CAN REALLY FOCUS ON HEALING. BUT THOSE FUNDS ALSO REALLY SUPPORT RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY. HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF PROVIDING NOT ONLY CLINICAL RESEARCH AND CLINICAL TRIALS FOR THESE CHILDREN’S AND FAMILY, BUT HOW WE CAN BRING NEW DISCOVERIES OF TOMORROW, TODAY. AND THIS IS REALLY, REALLY A HUGE MISSION FOR WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THE MONEY RAISED BY THON. SO TALK ABOUT THAT RESEARCH PART OF ALL OF THIS. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES WHEN YOU USE THAT MONEY FOR YOUR RESEARCH? YEAH, SEVERAL PRIORITIES. YOU KNOW IT’S BEEN IT’S VERY DIFFICULT. CURRENTLY WITH THE FEDERAL CLIMATE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET MONEY THAT SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND WHAT’S ON PROVIDES US WITH IS FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT SORT OF HIGHER RISK RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE FUNDED OTHERWISE, REALLY, AROUND PRECISION MEDICINE AND AROUND THERAPEUTICS. YEAH. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUNDING THERE. SO THE FUNDING. SO THESE DONOR DRIVEN FUNDING PLATFORMS LIKE THON, THAT REALLY GOES A LONG WAY FOR YOUR SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY, PARTICULARLY WITH PEDIATRIC CANCER, BECAUSE THESE ARE HARDER TO FUND. AND THIS TYPE OF PHILANTHROPIC FUNDS AND THE MONEY THAT THON RAISES REALLY ALLOWS US TO BE AT CUTTING EDGE FOR OUR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SO, YOU KNOW, DOCTOR KIM, THIS IS A BIG WEEKEND FOR ALL THESE STUDENTS. AND ACTUALLY, THERE’S BEEN MANY THINGS HAPPENING AT SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE PLACE, TOO. BUT IF YOU COULD DELIVER ONE MESSAGE FROM THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE TO ALL THOSE FAMILIES AND ALL THOSE DANCERS, THE FOLKS THAT ARE PART OF THIS, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? MY MESSAGE WOULD BE, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY, FOR YOUR TIME, AND FOR HOPE THAT WE CAN GET RID OF CANCER IN CHILDREN AND CURE IT FOREVER. THANK YOU. I CAN’T SAY ANYTHING BETTER THAN THAT. KIM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU BET. AND OF COURSE, WE’RE GOING TO BE WITH THOSE STUDENTS AS THEY DANCE FOR THE CURE. JOIN US FRIDAY AT 7 P.M. WHERE WE’LL TAKE YOU LIVE RIGHT INSIDE THE B

THON helps PSU’s College of Medicine offer ‘cutting edge’ care to patients, dean says

Updated: 7:46 PM EST Feb 17, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Penn State THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, is back at the Bryce Jordan Center this weekend. Ahead of Friday’s kick-off, WGAL News 8 spoke to Dr. Karen Kim, the dean of the Penn State College of Medicine. “Largely the funds go to families of patients with cancer, of children with cancer, and the goal is to make sure they don’t need to worry about the financial burden, so they can really focus on healing,” said Kim. The sole beneficiary of THON is Four Diamonds for the Penn State Health Golisano Hospital, but funds also go to Penn State’s College of Medicine. “But those funds also really support research and discovery. How do we make sure that we are at the cutting edge of providing not only clinical research and clinical trials for these children and families? How can we bring new discoveries of tomorrow, today?” said Kim. Kim also said it is difficult to get money that supports pediatric cancer research. “What THON provides us with is funds to be able to look at higher-risk research projects that may not be able to be funded otherwise,” said Kim. “These types of philanthropic funds and the money that THON raises really allows us to be at the cutting edge for our patients and their families.”When asked what she would say to everyone volunteering their time and money to put together THON this weekend, Kim said, “Thank you.” “Thank you for your generosity, for your time, and for hope that we can get rid of cancer in children and cure it forever.”

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —

Penn State THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, is back at the Bryce Jordan Center this weekend.

Ahead of Friday’s kick-off, WGAL News 8 spoke to Dr. Karen Kim, the dean of the Penn State College of Medicine.

“Largely the funds go to families of patients with cancer, of children with cancer, and the goal is to make sure they don’t need to worry about the financial burden, so they can really focus on healing,” said Kim.

The sole beneficiary of THON is Four Diamonds for the Penn State Health Golisano Hospital, but funds also go to Penn State’s College of Medicine.

“But those funds also really support research and discovery. How do we make sure that we are at the cutting edge of providing not only clinical research and clinical trials for these children and families? How can we bring new discoveries of tomorrow, today?” said Kim.

Kim also said it is difficult to get money that supports pediatric cancer research.

“What THON provides us with is funds to be able to look at higher-risk research projects that may not be able to be funded otherwise,” said Kim. “These types of philanthropic funds and the money that THON raises really allows us to be at the cutting edge for our patients and their families.”

When asked what she would say to everyone volunteering their time and money to put together THON this weekend, Kim said, “Thank you.”

“Thank you for your generosity, for your time, and for hope that we can get rid of cancer in children and cure it forever.”