Pennsbury raises $64,524 for pediatric cancer at fifth annual Mini-THON
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
The air was sticky and sweaty inside the gym of Pennsbury High School West on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 23. Hundreds of teens sporting neon tutus and tie-dyed T-shirts, hair doused in glitter, were dancing and jumping around to Top 40 tracks blasting through the sound system.
From their seemingly unwavering energy and ear-to-ear smiles, one would never guess that nearly every foot, knee and back ached with pain as the clock struck 7 p.m. The students had been up and moving since noon that day, and still had one more hour to go. But they didn’t mind because it was all #FTK — “For the Kids.”
This was Pennsbury’s fifth annual Mini-THON, a high school version of Penn State’s large scale THON, which each year tasks students with dancing and not sitting for eight hours. The event’s purpose is to raise money for Four Diamonds, which works to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children treated at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.
Pennsbury is one of hundreds of schools that hosts Mini-THONs for the benefit of Four Diamonds. During its first event in 2015, $19,159 was donated, with each year exceeding that amount. Some $33,581 was raised in 2016, $45,005 in 2017, and last year saw a grand total of $51,275.
At 8 p.m. during a special community hour, which welcomed family, friends and staff, members of the Mini-THON committee held up signs emblazoned with 2019’s final number — $64,524.10. Since its inception in 2015, Pennsbury has raised more than $213,000 for Four Diamonds, a feat faculty adviser Meaghan Cappelloni, and student committee chairpersons Avi Gajjar and Julia Coulter, couldn’t be more proud of.
According to senior Coulter, her peers exuded positive energy from start to finish. The day commenced with a group stretch and line dance to get the blood flowing and make sure all participants were prepared for the long day ahead.
“Within the first hour, we showed a video of THON and why we do it and who we dance for, and that immediately sparked emotion that I personally look for every year,” Coulter said. “We’re not only there to have fun, we’re there for a good cause. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life.”
Thanks to funds raised at various Mini-THONs, the approximately 600 families Four Diamonds supports each year never see a hospital bill, and 100 percent of patients who seek help from Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital are able to receive treatment.
Throughout the day, Pennsbury welcomed a handful of children and families personally impacted by pediatric cancer. Parents shared their emotional experiences with the teens, who were able to truly recognize the purpose of Mini-THON. A highlight for Cappelloni was a little girl named Fiona, who joined the students on the dance floor after her mother chronicled their touching journey.
“You were able to see the entire community come together,” Cappelloni said. “She was just from Newtown, and then the fact that Pennsbury was here for her, too, it really made a difference in her life.”
In regard to raising $10,000 more than last year, Cappelloni said this feat was the definition of a team effort. The Mini-THON committee, which is comprised of 12 head captains in charge of everything from family affairs to public relations, brainstormed several new initiatives — a Winter Formal, which brought in more than $4,000, the first Mini-But-Mighty-THON at Edgewood Elementary, and a community movie night. These were in addition to the third annual middle school Mini-THON and small scale fundraisers.
“We tried to bring it down to all levels this year,” she said. “We’re really just trying to build that bridge between the high school and all of our kids throughout the entire district.”
Gajjar echoed his teacher’s sentiment.
“We don’t want Mini-THON to just be a high school, upperclassman event,” he said. “We want it to spread all throughout the district and the community.”
At the conclusion of Mini-THON, countless underclassmen peers approached Gajjar and Coulter, praising them for all that was accomplished.
“We’re so focused on making an impact for other people and for Four Diamonds, and the fact that people told us that we inspired them to keep staying in Mini-THON was really nice to hear,” Coulter said. “I’m so happy we got the freshmen involved this year. That was a big thing. And now going down the grades, being able to see that we are making an impact for people to keep having this event grow was just inspiring. I definitely have a lot of confidence in the kids for next year that they’ll be able to pull it off.”
Cappelloni, who has been involved with Mini-THON since 2015, explained how the event instills in the head captains lessons that can last a lifetime.
“Not only are these students definitely working hard to raise money for a cause, but they’re also learning about leadership and how to work in committees, to delegate and talk to people in the community, and how to be professional,” she said. “So I think they’re learning a lot of skills that will take them far beyond what they’re doing here.”
Coulter, who is attending Penn State next year to study health and human development, is a prime example. After she, Gajjar and a few other captains had the opportunity to attend THON, she knew she had to get involved.
“A lot of schools had it, but that’s not comparative to the real one in my mind,” she said. “That is my new life goal, to become a committee member, something to be able to help up there and continue with the honor of what I got to do this year.” ••
Visit phsminithon.com for information.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
