In efforts to raise the most amount of money possible for THON each year, Penn State students go canning and canvassing. What's the difference?

Canning is when a group of students take a trip with friends to someone's specific hometown and collect money (in cans) from the locals on specifically set weekends. Usually, outside of a storefront or intersection.

Canvassing, however, can be done at any time before THON weekend, not just on scheduled weekends. It's a way to spread word about THON more personally, as students go door to door in a neighborhood to solicit direct donations.

As most of the Penn State community knows, the final two canning weekends were canceled, due to increased risk factors of traveling to and from canning destinations. THON stated in their letter regarding the cancelations that they are going to "take the next few months to conduct a full review of the safety procedures surrounding canning".

As canning was ultimately canceled, students and all THON supporters became worried that our total for this year will not only not beat last year's total of $13,026,653.23, but will be significantly much lower.

To avoid this sad prediction, canvassing became more popular, as students didn't give up on trying to raise the most money for THON. There were a lot of canvassing endeavors right here in State College, but this weekend of January 29-31, organizations did something very similar to canning.

THON partners took trips to someone's hometown to go canvassing, rather than canning. This raised a lot of eyebrows because canning was canceled due to traveling precautions, yet the students traveled to their canvassing destination in the same way they would for canning.

The weekend's routine and schedule was extremely similar to those of canning weekends. So... the question has been asked a lot this weekend...

Why was canning even canceled if trips like these are still allowed to be taken as canvassing?

Any method of raising money for THON is a obviously a great one and every cent absolutely counts. But, imagine the donations we'd have if canning was never canceled, AND THON partners took a few canvassing weekends, as well.

We understand that every decision THON makes is in our best interest and, of course, for the kids. We just hope to see canning make a comeback for next year's THON weekend, in hopes to keep raising millions for the fight to cure pediatric cancer.

With that being said, keep kicking some ass in raising money for the fight and for the cure. Only 19 days left until we're all on the floor and in the stands dancing away.

FTK