Elizabethtown Area High School will hold its eighteenth annual Mini-THON this year on March 14,  2025, to benefit the Four Diamonds. Mini-THON is a student-run organization that plans fundraising events during the school year that culminates with a 12-hour overnight dance marathon at the high school patterned after Penn State’s THON. This year’s fundraising goal for EAHS is $60,000. This year’s student leaders for this  philanthropic initiative are Senior Adrienne Crick, Junior Annale Nygyuen and Freshmen Noelle O’Brien.
 
This year EAHS hopes to take “One Sweet Step Closer To A Cure”. Starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, students will dance, sing, compete and play games all night while standing and patiently waiting for the final fundraising reveal at 6 am on March 15th. EAHS is hoping to surpass last year’s total of over $50,000 with one hundred percent of the money raised donated to the Four Diamonds Fund to support Pediatric Cancer research and help families of children with cancer take care of medical costs. Four Diamonds-sponsored families never see a cancer related bill during treatment through Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey, PA.
 
Elizabethtown Area High School invites our families and community to come share this life-changing experience of Mini-THON during our Community Hours from 7-10pm on Friday, March 14th. Adults may enter during Community Hours for a donation of $5, students $3, and children 5 and under will be free. Four Diamonds Families are invited to attend as our honorary guests. All donation fees go towards our fundraising goal. Please be aware that while many of the activities are included in the donation at admission, some activities will request an additional donation. These include the video game room, face painting, balloon animals and science experiences from Etown College of Science and Motion, just to name a few. Please come hungry as The Philly Cheesesteak Food Truck will be there and Mini-THON will also be selling pizza, hotdogs, snacks and desserts with a portion of the proceeds from all sales going to Mini-THON. Don’t miss the student band False Alarm as they take the stage at 8:00pm! The fun games, bounce house, and music and dancer antics will get everyone excited to crush cancer. The EAHS Mini-THON Committee also encourages you to purchase a lantern by scanning the QR code below and choosing, buy tickets to commemorate someone you may know affected by cancer. We will continue the tradition of having a Lights of Hope Luminary Ceremony at 9:30 p.m where all the lantern names will be read. Each lantern is a reminder of how many lives have been touched by this disease.

Elizabethtown Area High School Mini-THON committee hopes that community members join us at the Daubert Gymnasium  as we dance for a cure and to support this life-changing cause.
 
The greater-Elizabethtown community can support this worthwhile cause in a number of ways:

• Make a donation by scanning the QR code below
• Become a sponsor for next year by emailing christa_raudenbush@etownschools.org
• Purchasing a “Light of Hope” lantern
• Attend Community Hours from 7-10 on Friday March 8th

Mini-THON is especially unique to Elizabethtown because several years ago an 11 year-old boy named Chris Millard, from the Elizabethtown Area Middle School was diagnosed with cancer. While battling, this boy wrote a story about a brave knight who had to conquer a challenging quest using Courage, Wisdom, Strength and Honesty to help him overcome the evil sorceress. These characteristics are what Chris believed were needed to overcome cancer. Unfortunately, sometimes even the strongest of knights lose their battle. Cancer took its toll and sadly took Chris’ life. However he has become an inspiration to so many. In honor of him, the Millard family shared his story creating the Four Diamonds to assist and show the families that they are not alone.
 
Started in 1973, the Four Diamonds has grown into the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. In addition to paying bills, the Fund also assists families in every way possible including music therapy, meal vouchers, and taking families to THON events. In addition, 70% of all funds raised goes to research and finding a cure to pediatric cancer. One of the first patients to ever benefit from the Four Diamonds fund forty years ago was from a family here in Elizabethtown. That patient is now a physician.
 
Visit our Mini-THON event page (http://tiny.cc/a63c001) or contact advisor Christa Raudenbush (christa_raudenbush@etownschools.org) at Elizabethtown Area High School (717) 367-1533 for more information.

Make a General Donation		Purchase a Luminary
		Select "Buy Tickets" Option