Penn State students raise $10.6M in annual dance marathon

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Hundreds of Penn State students have raised more than $10.6 million dollars for pediatric cancer patients in the annual 46-hour dance marathon known as Thon.

The $10,621,683.76 total was announced Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, billed as the world's largest student-run philanthropy.

Money raised benefits pediatric cancer patients and their families at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Child cancer survivors and their families also participate along with the dancers, who aren't allowed to sleep or even sit and are helped by thousands of other students in support roles.

The amount raised this year was more than $470,000 over last year's total. Before this year's event, officials said the dance marathon had raised more than $157 million since 1977.