FTK

I count down the days. It comes once a year, and that next day after, we’re back at 364. Counting down, day by day, checking off the boxes. There are concessions, yes, like the day captains are picked, 100 days till THON, Coldstone Scoops FTK, and Color Wars Kick-Off. These days provide excitement, and bring joy. But finally, on that third weekend in February, the real thing is here. The most amazing 46 hours of my life. Of Penn Stater’s lives. And most important, of the kid’s lives.

Then, you walk into the Bryce Jordan Center. If you’re lucky enough to be a captain, you’ll arrive around six am friday morning. And you’ll watch it transform. You see the decorations go up, the stage get rearranged, dancer storage get put together. Then, the moraler’s will come in for an hour, maybe two. What was a bunch of wooden squares will transform into a decorated area for each dancer to put all the belongings they considered important enough to come along for their 46 hour trek. Then finally, at four pm in the afternoon, the tunnel gets built. The dancers will run through all of the moraler’s outside, into the BJC, down the stairs, across the floor, and they will finally be at the start of their life changing weekend.

There are no words for how it changes you. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll feel more exhausted than you ever have, even if you’re not dancing. You’ll spend 42 hours working towards a goal, surrounded by thousands who share your passion. Then, once the last four hours come. You’ll get that inspiration. You’ll hear parents talk about their children, children talk about their lives, and you’ll watch a slideshow, ‘The Celebration of Life,’ that will make you cry your eyes out. THON really does change your life. It will put everything in perspective, and you will make a difference in the life of a child. How can you not count down the days, hours, and minutes until that weekend? When you see kids who got dealt the worst hand running around shooting a watergun with the largest smile on their face, you finally understand what’s really worth it. And after all....

"I never thought a hero could be barely 3 feet tall, inspired we chant FTK for the heroes, for them all. if you take one thing back from THON after everything you give, remember what it taught you about what it means to live."