STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State University students are once again participating in THON.
The weekend-long event raises money for families impacted by childhood cancer.
Braden Fleagle, a 19-year-old freshman from Dillsburg is taking classes online through Penn State University World Campus.
Fleagle is also a cancer survivor.
“I was diagnosed shortly after my sixteenth birthday with a one-in-a-million brain tumor germinoma,” Fleagle said.
After beginning treatment at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Fleagle and his family joined the Four Diamonds family.
“Any medical treatment that is not paid for by insurance for a cancer diagnosis, Four Diamonds covers it no matter what,” Fleagle said.
Four Diamonds became the sole beneficiary of THON in 1977 which has since raised more than 218 million dollars in the fight to conquer childhood cancer.
Fleagle couldn’t be more grateful for this.
“No child should have to fight for their life before they begun to live it, no family should have to watch their child go through the challenge of something that is not their fault,” Fleagle said.
Over the weekend, Fleagle is giving back by joining the team that continues to help families like his.
“I’m wearing two hats, I’m wearing the four diamonds kid hat and then I’m being a volunteer, I’m with our world campus dancers on the floor and I’ve been able to raise money for THON now,” Fleagle said.
Fleagle managed to raise more than five-thousand dollars all on his own.
But he says it’ll take more than that to find a cure.
“Even a dollar, ten dollars, a hundred dollars, it might seem like such a small gesture for you, but for someone who has benefited from thon and four diamonds and is a childhood cancer survivor, your generosity means so much more to my family and all the four diamonds families, so thank you.”
THON raised more than fifteen million dollars in 2023.
Its official fundraiser amount for 2024 is expected to be announced on Sunday.