College Students Dance For 46 Hours On WPVI Special

WPVI, the ABC’s Philadelphia O&O, will produce and broadcast a dance marathon to raise money for children battling cancer.

THON – 50 Years For The Kids, airs Saturday, Feb. 19, at  7 p.m. in honor of Penn State’s THON, the world’s largest student-run philanthropy.

For five decades, THON has held a dance marathon that is now 46 hours of dancing to raise money for children with cancer. The highly popular and successful initiative that began in 1973 has raised more than $190 million.

Viewers will tune in during the dance marathon’s 25^th hour of dancing. Celebrating the history and purpose of the event, the special will air live video from State College where THON takes place.

All money raised benefits Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, the exclusive underwriter for the broadcast, in Hershey, Pa.

The 30-minute special will air on WPVI and its 24/7 streaming channel.

THON is programmed and produced entirely by Penn State students who configure the Bryce Jordan Center, build the stage, manage the concessions and handle all the custodial duties.

And, of course, the estimated 700 student dancers stay on their feet for 46 hours straight.

The program will also be syndicated to stations in other Pennsylvania markets including Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Scranton, in addition to New York, expanding linear viewership availability to roughly 11% of American homes.

Additionally, the program will be offered across 6abc’s 24/7 streaming channels, allowing viewers, regardless of the market they live in, to stream the program on their mobile or connected TV apps through Roku, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV.

The stations simulcasting the program include the following:

WABC New York (also ABC-owned)
WTAE Pittsburgh
WHTM Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York
WNEP Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
WATM Johnstown-Altoona

“Through our news coverage, we have shined a spotlight on THON for more than 10 years, so it brings all of us immense joy to produce a televised celebration that showcases the extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of these student volunteers,” says Bernie Prazenica, WPVI’s general manager.

“We hope this live broadcast will extend THON’s message to a whole new audience of supporters.”

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