Brief by Nishta Subramanian, Staff Reporter
Photos by Jeffrey Heng and Nishta Subramanian, Co-Opinion Editor and Staff Reporter
Flowers and balloons decked the gyms as students and staff members flooded in, wearing pink T-shirts to show their support for pediatric cancer patients and their families.
On April 4, Student Council and Key Club hosted their fourth annual Mini-THON fundraiser. The four-hour event consisted of various activities like line dancing, sports and arts and crafts, as well as dinner. Mini-THON is based on Penn State’s event, THON, which fundraises for Four Diamonds, an organization that aids childhood cancer patients through supporting their care and investing in research. Prior to the event, the Mini-THON planning committee held fundraisers throughout the year to contribute to its year-long goal of raising $25,000.
“It’s very hard for parents going through this, because not only do they have to worry about their child, but they also have to worry about the financial side,” junior and participant Isabella Snell said. “If we can help provide some support with the finances, it can make that experience a lot easier for them.”
For the first event of the night, Conestoga’s drumline performed to hype up the crowd. The rest of the night was spent doing different activities like zumba, karate and friendship bracelet making. Throughout the large, small and wrestling gyms, students were able to play sports and show off their athleticism.
“Personally, I really like the badminton, but I also enjoy the free food a lot,” junior Shari Yan said.
The much-anticipated event of the night was the line dancing, which played popular songs like “HOT TO GO!” and “Cotton Eye Joe.” Attendees followed along to the dance routines with neon light sticks. Attendees were also served a meal and refreshments which included pizza, hoagies, soda, salad and brownies.
“It (Penn State’s THON) is a little bit different where theirs is really long, but it’s still the same energy, we have the line dance, and they also do the line dance up at Penn State. So ours is just a lot smaller, but it’s still super duper fun,” teacher and attendee Lucy Paules said.
At the end of the event, organizers revealed a total of $25,565.13 raised, which meant that Conestoga had reached its goal for the year. This was the largest amount fundraised for the Four Diamonds organization by Conestoga from Mini-Thon.
“It’s for pediatric cancer, and kids deserve so much more,” junior and participant Maitreyi Senthil said. “It’s truly such a fun cause to be here for.”
Check out some photos from the event below!
Nishta Subramanian can be reached at [email protected].
Jeffrey Heng can be reached at [email protected].
