Last year, Dallastown students and the surrounding community worked together to raise over $76,000 through Mini-THON.
This year, the student organizers hope to shatter that total, and they’ve already started fundraising.
Mini-THON is a student led organization modeled after Penn State’s THON.
Throughout the school year, students raise money for the Four Diamonds Foundation to help conquer childhood cancer.
Participants individually raise money to be apart of the 12-hour overnight event held each spring at the high
school. Students can not sit or sleep for the duration of the event and are entertained with food, games, and a variety of activities.
But not all of the money raised comes from the actual night of the event.
Dallastown Mini-THON has been busy this summer fundraising.
Fundraisers included car washes, canning, and an ice cream social at Handel’s.
In addition to raising money, the advisors and chairs of committees also spent the summer planning and learning more about the cause.
In August, a group of advisors and chairs attended a Mini-THON Leadership Summit at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The event is an opportunity for both students and advisors to share their ideas, network, and be trained to have the best Mini-THON and fundraise the most money.
The all day event includes a breakfast, opening ceremony with Four Diamond family speakers, breakout information sessions, lunch, and a glow-out dance party.
Since school began, mini-THON committees were busy with two main fundraisers: the dress drive and gold-out game.
The 4th annual homecoming dress drive was held on Sunday afternoons in August and September from 12-3.
Over 400 gently used and new dresses were donated from community members and local stores.
Each dress cost $25, with a special clearance rack of $10 dresses. Despite the name, the dress drive is not just limited to dresses. Shoes and accessories were sold for $5.
The sale was not exclusive to Dallastown students. Shoppers came from other schools including Susquehannock, York Country Day, and York Catholic.
On Friday September 7, the home football game versus Penn Manor was the annual gold-out game. T-shirts were sold the weeks leading up to the game for $10.
At the game, the student section and fans were encouraged to wear the shirts and other gold accessories. Mini-THON also sold gold out drawstring bags for $5, which included a glow stick, face tattoos, beads, a headband, and a button- all in gold.
Senior Helania Imhoff and Jake Plowman, co-chairs of the Special Events Committee said, “Fundraising is going very well so far. Many of the events we have organized have been a huge success. The gold out game and dress drives were big hits. We cannot wait to see the total at the end of this year!”