About 150 students plan to dance the night away at the Pleasant Valley High School Mini-THON 2022 on May 7 at the high school.

“This year’s event is especially important because it is our first time hosting it since March 7, 2020,” said Kassidy Shupp, a junior at PVHS and co-executive chairperson of the fundraiser. “Even though we spent the intermediate continuously spreading awareness about Four Diamonds and taking on a very strong social media presence, hosting an event makes everything that much more real, and students can spend the 12 hours dancing for a cure for childhood cancer.”

Four Diamonds is the nonprofit fund created in 1972 to distribute money raised through the THON fundraisers to families with children fighting cancer at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Hershey. Money also goes toward childhood cancer research at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine.

According to its website, Four Diamonds covers 100% of all medical expenses related to cancer care that is not already covered by insurance, including travel and lodging, for Pennsylvania children.

Mini-THON is an extension of the THON fundraisers run by Penn State University students and held at the main campus in University Park.

Pleasant Valley High School began holding the fundraiser in 2017 after helping with one at the elementary school in 2016, said Elizabeth Gesualdi, a teacher at PVHS and Mini-THON adviser.

“Our students were able to see the empathy and compassion that the event created and wanted so much to be a bigger part of it,” she said.

Gesualdi said one the best things about Mini-THON is that it is a student-run fundraiser.

“Students apply skills they have learned in the classroom and through Four Diamonds to create this magical event,” she said.

Kassidy Shupp first got involved with Mini-THON as a seventh-grader.

“I initially got involved because I knew, as a kid myself, it was an opportunity to get involved and be a part of the fight against childhood cancer,” she said. “It has been quite an amazing journey since then.”

Shupp has been volunteering her time for six years now, the last four as a member of the leadership team. The event is sponsored by the Leo Club at the high school.

“Mini THON has taught me many things, but one of the best lessons is seeing how - even in the midst of chaos - people can bond together for the kids,” she said.

Gesualdi said the PVHS Mini-THONs have raised a total of $53,623.44.

“This year, we hope to raise as much as we can,” she said.

There isn’t any specific fundraising goal, but each student is asked to raise a minimum of $25 through their donor drive.

The school’s biggest fundraiser this year is Tanaya Adorno. Gesualdi said she is raising money in honor of her younger brother who is currently fighting cancer. So far, she has raised $925 of her $1,000 goal.

On her donor page, Adorno said her brother, Antonio, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in May 2020. She said he is a strong kid and doesn’t let cancer stop him from doing what he loves to do, which is archery.

“He constantly tries to learn about his treatments and procedures, which helps him thoroughly understand what he’s going through. He has had his ups and downs throughout treatment, but he always gets through it,” she said. “Please join me in helping kids like my brother, who are battling childhood cancer. Your donations can not only help kids with cancer and their families, but also get one step closer to a cure.”

Donations to the PVHS Mini-THON can be made through their donor drive page at https://fourdiamonds.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&;eventID=3514.