Staying on your feet for eight hours overnight may seem like a daunting task, but Kyle Sebelin, Palmerton Area High School’s student council president, knows it pales in comparison to the challenges pediatric cancer patients face on a daily basis.

Sebelin and over 200 of his classmates blew past their fundraising goal last weekend and had a blast in the process during the school’s second Mini-THON. While the donor drive doesn’t close until the end of June, students have already raised over $12,000 to fight pediatric cancer, eclipsing the school’s $5,000 goal.

“The best part is knowing that we made a positive impact on the lives of the children and families who are impacted by pediatric cancer while simultaneously making memories with fellow classmates that will last a lifetime,” Sebelin, a Palmerton senior, said. “This gives you a chance to be part of something much greater than yourself. To know that our event helped fund research to find a cure for the awful disease and to ease families’ financial burden of cancer treatment means the world to me. The last thing a cancer patient should have to worry about is paying their medical bills and to know that our event helps eliminate this worry is such a powerful feeling.”

Palmerton last held a Mini-THON in 2019, when about 120 students attended the event.

“It’s great to see the participation growing,” student council advisers Josh Nenscel and Jeana Baumgardt said. “We are looking for students to gain an understanding of what pediatric cancer patients go through on a daily basis with the pain and exhaustion they endure. We also wanted to create an opportunity for our students to make a memory during their high school years. With COVID-19, a lot of events like this haven’t happened in awhile and it’s great to be back.”

Students participated in a variety of games and activities throughout the high school and took part in a glow stick dance party. The event lasted eight hours, but Sebelin and his classmates didn’t need much motivation to keep going.

“Many students said they were very sore and tired the next day after our fun event, however, what we all felt was nothing compared to the struggles that cancer patients endure every day,” Sebelin said. “You remember why you are participating in this great event, and it makes it easy to keep going.”

With a two-year gap in between Mini-THON events, students were happy to be back together creating memories.

“It was awesome to walk around the school and see everyone smiling and having a great time,” Sebelin said. “The students would like to thank all the administration, the teachers, specifically Mrs. Baumgardt and Mr. Nenscel, and chaperones, who made this great event possible.”