Marian planning first Mini-THON
Marian Catholic High School is planning its first Mini-THON, modeled after the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON), to benefit childhood cancer patients and their families.
Marian's event will be held from 7 p.m. April 15 to 9 a.m. April 16 in Marian's gymnasium.Committees were formed back in December, with Olivia Palmieri and Timothy Busher serving as overall co-chairpersons. Camryn Wilson and Samantha McCarthy will co-chair the communications committee; Teague Schmidt will chair the morale committee; Megan Ferrello, finance committee; Nikki Kline and Juliana Oberta, rules and regulations committee; Michaela Susko and Clarissa Colobdo, hospitality; Gabrielle Tout, operations; and Alexandria Dutz and Angelina Krupko will be in charge of entertainment.Palmieri spoke to the student body at Marian High School, explaining that everyone is able to be a part of the event, to "make a difference for the kids."She introduced Leigh Anna Hilbert, a representative of the Four Diamonds Fund, created in 1972 by Charles and Irma Millard of Lancaster County, after the death of their son, Christopher. When he was 11 years old, Christopher Millard was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly before his untimely death three years later, the teen wrote a story about a great knight searching for the "four diamonds" of courage, wisdom, honesty and strength to defeat the evil sorceress (cancer). The Millards created Four Diamonds to help other children and their families in their fights against the sorceress.One staggering statistic from the Four Diamonds campaign is that it has helped every single childhood cancer patient treated at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey University Medical Center since 1977, when Four Diamonds and the Hershey Medical Center entered into a partnership.That is also the year Penn State's THON named Four Diamonds as its sole beneficiary. To date, THON has raised more than $127 million, offering help to more than 3,600 children and their families.Marian's plans include establishing a donor drive account, an online platform used to track funds raised by individual participant; a hungry, hungry hippos game involving the student body; and the creation of a logo. The theme will be "Carnival for a Cure."More information is available at