By: Jenny Kim
Hershey High School’s Mini-THON raised $45,045.45 and surpassed last year’s total by $7000.
HHS has been hosting Mini-THON since 1993. Each year a theme is introduced, and this year’s was “Dancing through the Decades.” HHS celebrated this theme by wearing clothes from different decades to school during the week of Mini-THON.
The night was full of many events, with food, games, tournaments, and dancing. A bouncy house was set up all night in the gym, and a DJ was stationed all night in the cafeteria. It was a full 12 hours of having fun and excitement all in support of a cure for childhood cancer.
The Mini-THON committee had put in a huge effort with outstanding decorations and contagious energy.
Additionally, to make sure everyone was on their feet, Mini-THON consisted of an event for each hour of the night. Around 7 p.m., children and relatives came in for “Family Hour,” where they could play on the bouncy house, play volleyball, or just have a snack.
The Mr. Hershey Pageant also happened around that time. Patrick Bortel, senior, won the title against seven competitors. A crown and a purple sash was also included with the win.
Around 8 p.m., a favorite exercise event occurred: Zumba. As people danced and moved to fast paced and upbeat music, everyone’s energy soared.
Soon after, the start of student music performances began. Many students, part of a band or performing solo, played their hearts out. There were many amazing performances including those by Maggie Lane, Heidi Luise Wingert, Lydia Neuhauser. Listening to the live music was definitely a highlight for the night.
Also on the side was the art station, where students could paint on each other’s faces, arms, hands, or legs. Almost everyone had walked around with either a Four Diamonds sign or “FTK” painted on their body. Henna tattoos were also a big hit with the crowd.
Around 1 a.m., the Mini-THON volleyball tournament started. It started an entertaining and lively environment, where people on the sidelines would cheer on teams. The tournament had went on for another two hours.
A very prominent highlight of the night was the food. One could find sandwiches, pasta, ice cream, mac and cheese, and much more. Not one student was hungry for the majority of the night.
For all the video game geeks out there, Mini-THON had provided many games to play and compete with that night. Games like Super Smash Bros Brawl or Mario Kart were the most popular attractions for the gamers.
