Bronson Ford of Jim Thorpe started his first day of kindergarten in 2000, on the very day his best friend, Kenny Bird, died of cancer.

The childhood loss was the driving force behind Ford's involvement with Penn State University's annual 46-hour marathon dance event known as THON to raise money for pediatric cancer research.THON dancers cannot sleep or even sit down during the two-day event.Ford, now a freshman economics major at Penn State, served on the Rules and Regulations Committee for THON, held Feb. 21-23 at the university's Bryce Jordan Center.The event began in 1977, and has since raised $101 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Childrens Hospital. The fund, according to THON'S website, "not only provides outstanding care and comprehensive support to children undergoing treatment, but also leads initiatives for innovative and sustainable cancer research."Childhood cancers are the number one disease killer of children in the United States, with more than 18,000 new cases of pediatric cancer diagnosed annually, according to the website.Ford describes the weekend as "challenging, yet gratifying. Before I even applied for admission to Penn State, I knew I was going to participate in THON," he wrote in an email message to the TIMES NEWS.Losing his friend brought home the importance of contributing to pediatric cancer research."I was absolutely astounded by the record-breaking $13 million that THON raised for the Four Diamonds Fund this year," Ford wrote."I think I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say that we all felt fantastic serving a cause greater than ourselves in such a lively environment. We participants were all tired at the end of THON, but we all went to bed knowing that more kids and their families can rest more assured in the future," he wrote.Officially called the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, THON is a yearlong fundraising and awareness campaign for the fight against pediatric cancer, according to the event's website.It is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, engaging more than 15,000 students across the commonwealth. It is the oldest and longest dance marathon in the country.Penn State junior Abigail Storm, a Palmerton High School graduate, worked at raising money for the effort. The art education major joined a student organization called Atlas, which raised money for THON. Her work included seeking donations from family and friends, and setting up contribution boxes at businesses in her hometown."It's such a big help to the parents and families to offset the costs so the parents don't have to worry about the financial burden. They can just work at keeping a smile on their kids face and working through the cancer," Storm said.Ford and Storm were among several local Penn State students who participated in THON. Others included Kristen Halenar of Summit Hill; Ryan Miorelli of Tamaqua, who participated as Luke Skywalker along with others dressed as Star Wars characters; and Gwen Chodur.Efforts to reach them to share their experiences were unsuccessful early Monday.