MHS Students Help Child Cancer Patients Through Mini-THON
About 250 Milton Hershey School students put others in focus and raised $55,826.40 for Four Diamonds at Penn State Children’s Hospital.
The annual Mini-THON, modeled after the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon THON, is a month-long fundraising effort that concluded with an overnight celebration in Catherine Hall. Through the fundraiser, students gain work-ready skills in communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving while promoting teamwork, creativity, and spirit.
“My grandmother died of cancer, so the entire experience was very meaningful,” 12th grader Zachary Boyes said.
Boyes raised $1,100 towards the effort, making him the school’s top fundraiser.
The all-night event featured games, dancing, swimming, and crafts.
“It was a great opportunity to hang out with friends and make some new ones,” Boyes said.
Students closed Mini-THON with a solemn luminary walk. Attendees slowly walked through lights lit in memory of those whose lives were taken by cancer.
Junior Yasmeen Garduno, participated in her first Mini-THON in 2024. She found the experience rewarding and decided to Raise the Bar this year by becoming the event’s student lead. Organizing Mini-THON allowed Garduno to work on her planning and critical thinking skills.
Many schools hold Mini-THONs, but MHS students have a special connection to the children it helps. Since its creation in 1972, Four Diamonds has served more than 4,800 children and families, while supporting a diverse platform of childhood cancer research at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine, located a few miles from the MHS campus.
Last year, Garduno and other student fundraisers had the opportunity to visit children in the hospital.
“I got to see the real effects of what our money goes to,” she said.
As the evening wound down, Garduno looked around the room and felt a tremendous sense of pride in her and her fellow students’ work.
“I am not here for myself; I am here for a greater cause,” she said.