By: Lydia Gould

Hershey High School continues to change people’s’ lives.

Mini Thon was held this year from March 11th to the 12th. The entire school raised $45,045.45 for the Four Diamonds Fund which supports families who have a child with pediatric cancer. The all night dance marathon according to the chairs was very successful, and during Community Day, the chairs talked about the dedicated group that is the Mini Thon chairs.

The Mini Thon chairs organize all of the fundraising, decorations, events, and food for the event. The students involved with the preparation start their planning in the summer and work all the way up to the event making sure that everything is perfect.

The different committees include food, fundraising, bands and activities, PR, decorations, and many more. Brenna Beck, an overall chair, said that she is very pleased with how the committees planned for this years event.

“I think we did a really great job fundraising”, Beck said. “We added a lot of new items such as the bounce house, volleyball tournament, and nine square which students played for hours.”

Teacher advisor, Elizabeth Blosky, said that the committee did a better job planning even more activities for this year. She thought that the activities kept more students energized and entertained for the whole 12 hours.

“The open gym kept people on their feet for most of the time”, Blosky said. “Also the student bands and games kept most students more entertained.”

While the committee was ecstatic about this year’s Mini Thon, next year’s dance marathon is already on their minds. Beck even said that fundraising for next year is already in the works.

“There are lots of ideas that we saved for next year,” Beck said. “We might even do a color run.”

While they’re looking forward to next year, the committee has several goals that they would like to accomplish for next year.

“I would like to see everyone stay on their feet for the whole 12 hours”, said Blosky. “I would also like to see more Four Diamonds families come out for our family hour.”

The committee as a whole has big ideas for next year, but they’re looking for new ideas. They’re looking for new students to apply to be a chair or on a committee for the 2016-2017 school year. Teacher advisor, Amy Licata, said that there are many things to be gained from being involved with Mini Thon.

“It (the Mini Thon committee) gives you leadership and community service experience,” Licata said. “You also gain a lot of valuable life experience.”

Beck also agreed and said that she learned many things about herself through being a part of Mini Thon.

Beck said, “We [the Mini Thon chairs] really learn how well we have it.”

Overall, the chairs and advisors encourage everyone to apply to be a part of Mini Thon for next year.
“It’s a great community,” said Beck. “I am really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the future.”