WHYY By Jade Campos, WPSUFebruary 16, 2021 Penn State THON executive leaders have been preparing to make the transition to a virtual event all year. While things will look different, they're hoping THON will look as close to normal as possible. (Sam Koon/Penn State THON) This story originally appeared on WPSU. ___ THON starts this Friday. Most years, thousands of Penn State students gather in the Bryce Jordan Center for the 46-hour dance marathon to raise money for families affected by childhood cancer. But because of COVID-19, this year’s event will look very different. Mary Illicete learned her daughter had cancer in 2014, when Theresa was 9 years old. Illicete says she watched the disease steal away her daughter’s childhood. But she was able to get part of it back through THON.