ERIE, Pa. — When more than 700 dancers and thousands of supporters rise at once to kick off Penn State’s IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) on Feb. 20, they will share a unified goal: supporting families that are fighting pediatric cancer. Each dancer, however, also has a unique and often very personal reason to stand and line-dance for 46 hours.
For Mya McElhinney, the executive director of Behrend Benefiting THON, that motivation dates back to her childhood, she said.
“This is something I have wanted to do since I was probably 8 years old,” she said.
McElhinney grew up in State College. Her mother got involved in THON when a family friend was diagnosed with cancer. McElhinney said she remembers stories about the boy spending time with the college students who had been matched to him; he is now himself a Penn State student, and in remission.
“Seeing the community come together at a young age and seeing what college students can do when they come together was inspiring,” said McElhinney, whose stepfather also danced at THON.
McElhinney is a senior in the nursing program at Penn State Behrend. She will work in an oncology unit after she graduates in May.
McElhinney attended THON as a volunteer in 2025. She said she was particularly moved by the event’s final hours, when families shared their stories.
“There is not a dry eye in the building,” she said. “It is unmatched to any emotion I have felt. I get chills thinking about it.”
McElhinney is one of five dancers who will represent Behrend at this year’s THON. She will dance alongside Kenzie Hughes, Cassie Howe-Harvey, Maggie Boehme and Brady Rametta. The group said they hope to raise $85,000.
Rametta said he learned about THON when he was in second grade. Students at Penn State New Kensington raised money to support one of his classmates, who had cancer.
“He lost his battle,” Rametta said. “It was hard, and it was part of what made me so passionate about THON.”
Rametta also lost his grandfather to cancer, he said. On his first day at Behrend, he joined Behrend Benefiting THON.
“At the start of every meeting, we say the mission statement,” he said. “Knowing every week what I come back and fight for keeps me grounded.”
Boehme joined Behrend Benefiting THON because of friends, she said. Since then, a cancer scare in her family has made the mission even more important to her.
“That experience made THON personal for me,” she said. “It showed how much support families truly need. Dancing at THON is my way of taking part in that support.”