Video compiled by Justin Charles, courtesy of Dr. Samuel Getty's and Clayton Helstrom's footage 

$47,120.54 . That is the difference between how much more  Cedar Cliff’s 2018 mini-THON raised in the grand total of $106,188.09 gathered for the Four Diamonds Fund to support families dealing with childhood cancer. The 2017 fundraising efforts garnered $59,067.55 for the cause.

The video reveals some of the Feb. 17 events that culminated mini-THON 2018.

Hundreds of students came out Feb. 17 to support kids with cancer despite the large snowfall and some initial concerns about whether to hold the event.

Faculty adviser Amy Dando said everything went smoothly this year, even with the snow. “I was pleased with the leadership ability the students demonstrated to run the event.”

The 2018 fundraising so successful for several reasons. Corporate sponsorships increased from $13,000 to $31,000. “We all are so thankful for the corporate sponsors that put in large donations to help the cause,” faculty adviser Meagan Beekler said.

Donor Drive funds went from $6000 to $31,000. “Signing everyone up on Donor Drive allowed fundraisers to send out invitations to friends and family, who could then donate money to Four Diamonds directly online,” co-president Grace Ghiazza said. General fundraising events grew from $40,000 to $44,000.

Co-president Sophie Miller said she and Ghiazza worked to create more structure this year and to form more committees.  “Grace and I tried to organize better and create more events each month for people to fundraise.” 

Additional fundraisers included mini mini-THONS at New Cumberland Middle School and Highland and Hillside elementary schools that went extremely well, multiple restaurant nights, a Trick-or-Trot 5k, selling monkey bread at the New Cumberland Apple Festival, a bowling night, a Sky Zone night, auctions, volunteer work (shoveling, gift wrapping at Bass Pro) a faculty basketball game, a powder puff football game, and canning at the West Shore Farmer's market. Students began fundraising in the summer.

“The students put in an enormous amount of effort this year,” Beekler said.

Miller said being co-president was a valuable experience.  “It was a great way to learn how to be a leader and how to deal with people; how to properly communicate with everyone and work as a team.

Two popular events at 2018 mini-Thon were the man pageant and karaoke.  Man Pageant winner junior Donovan Ball said competing was fun, especially because his friends also participated.  “I got to lip sync and dress up and do some other funny stuff.”  About winning the pageant, Ball said, “It felt pretty good because the winner was whoever raised the most money, so getting to do that was pretty cool.”

Mini-THON also included moving speeches from families affected by childhood cancer, line dances every hour, hair cutting to donate to Locks of Love, sports team lip sync battles, a team-based tournament, and much more. 

Dando said she thinks the kids really had fun.  “I think that’s the idea of the night.  You raise all of this money and it’s all going towards such a great cause. But then to see kids from very different backgrounds come together, that was a highlight for me.”

As for Miller’s final thoughts on Mini-THON, “I can’t speak for other students, raising that much money to give to all of the kids was the biggest thing for me.”