Fundraiser Bounces Back from Pandemic to More Than Double Last Year’s Total
HERSHEY – Students from hundreds of school districts across five states gathered Friday morning to celebrate raising $5,778,903.93 for the fight to conquer childhood cancer.
The money, raised through Mini-THON events, benefits Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, which assists families with children being treated for cancer.
The fundraising total for Mini-THON events held during the 2021-22 school year was announced at the annual Four Diamonds Mini-THON Leadership Summit.
Throughout the 2021-22 school year, student leaders and volunteers from 208 school districts in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia mobilized to execute Mini-THON fundraisers and events that raised the $5.7 million.
The total signifies a notable rebound from the pandemic, more than doubling last year’s Mini-THON fundraising efforts.
Mini-THON is a Four Diamonds program coordinated by K-12 students at schools in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Modeled after the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON), the multi-hour, interactive events engage hundreds of thousands of students each year to raise money that benefits Four Diamonds.
The funding supports Four Diamonds families at the Children’s Hospital through world-class care and financial support, as well as ground-breaking research for new treatments and cures for all childhood cancers.
Since its beginning in 1993, the Mini-THON program has contributed more than $58 million to conquer childhood cancer.
“We are so grateful for the remarkable young leaders whose energy, enthusiasm and unwavering dedication to conquering childhood cancer drive the Mini-THON movement,” said Suzanne Graney, executive director of Four Diamonds.
“Each student leader is inspiring and empowering their student body and their community to join us as our partners in the fight to end childhood cancer for all kids around the world.”
Each year, student leaders and advisors gather at the Mini-THON Leadership Summit to learn from each other, collaborate and get organized as they plan Mini-THON activities for the coming school year.
More information about Four Diamonds Mini-THON is available here.
With the record-breaking success of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which raised $2.2 billion from 2016 to 2022, philanthropy is helping to sustain the University’s tradition of education, research and service to communities across the Commonwealth and around the globe.
Scholarships enable our institution to open doors and welcome students from every background, support for transformative experiences allows our students and faculty to fulfill their vast potential for leadership, and gifts toward discovery and excellence help us to serve and impact the world we share.
To learn more about the impact of giving and the continuing need for support, please visit raise.psu.edu.