THON Thursday: Live to Dance THON Style

As the momentum builds leading up to THON, I’ve been getting requests from people wanting to dance in THON on behalf of the World Campus. That makes this the perfect opportunity for me to explain how the THON process works AND recruit for next year’s World Campus THON Campaign.

Entering the Dancer Lottery

Because there are more organizations who want to send dancers to THON than the Bryce Jordan Center and the THON Committee can accommodate, a system was put in place to select who gets to dance. Organizations that raised huge amounts of money the previous year automatically get to send a certain number of dancers. The rest are determined by the dancer lottery.

Each year, the overall THON Committee sets an amount that each organization must raise to enter the dancer lottery. This year, that amount was $2,600. For each $500 raised over $2,600, organizations get an additional lottery entry.  On February 3 (today), a random computerized drawing will be held and dancers notified.

It Takes Commitment

So who gets to dance from the World Campus? Like anything that is worth doing, it takes commitment and hard work. To get a shot at dancing in THON on behalf of the World Campus, you have to be an active member of the World Campus THON Campaign team. You have to be out there helping us raise funds, leading a team, doing what it takes for the World Campus to have a significant stake in the dancer lottery.

A THON volunteer shows her commitment by collecting donations on a cold winter day (Photo by Katherine Wahler)
A THON volunteer shows her commitment by collecting donations on a cold winter day (Photo by Katherine Wahler)

We are already looking for a dynamic, dedicated team to get us to the 2012 THON. Planning for next year’s THON begins March 1, so that we have a successful fundraising plan in place and ready to launch on October 1. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, e-mail Stephanie Buckley, team lead, recruiting.

Remember that ultimately, this is not about dancing in THON, it’s about making a difference for kids with cancer. Your commitment to the World Campus THON Campaign makes that happen. FTK!