Many of the local schools participate in a variety of fund-raisers for The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. The most popular events are school mini-thons, which replicate Penn State’s Dance Marathon on a smaller scale. There are even elementary school children participating in one-hour mini-thons. Other school fund-raisers have included bench-a-thons, basketball shoot-outs, bake sales, and a variety of other events. If your school would like to organize a fund-raiser for The Four Diamonds Fund, please contact the Four Diamonds office at 717-531-6086.

The Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC) recently announced that the State Charity for the year is The Four Diamonds Fund! Schools have been asked to fundraise for the Fund and are encouraged to organize Four Diamonds mini-thons, if possible. As host for the 2009 PASC Conference, Pennridge High School had the opportunity to choose the State Charity and are excited about the possibility of helping the mini-thons increase across the state. For details about the conference and the mini-thon initiative visit http://www.celebrate2009.org/.  PASC's goals will be to double the number of Four Diamonds mini-thons as well as help the mini-thon totals reach $1 million this year!

Thank you to all the schools that participated in Four Diamonds mini-thons during 2008-2009!  Four Diamonds mini-thons raised more than $792,000 this year!

*The number in parentheses indicates the number of years the school has held a Four Diamonds mini- thon.

• Annville-Cleona Middle School & High School (10) - $31,600
• Big Spring High School (5) - $44,477.09
• Biglerville High School (1) - $5,025
• Central Dauphin High School (15) - $68,612
• Cheltenham High School (2) - $21,036
• Conewago Valley Intermediate School (3) - $17,260
• Cumberland Valley High School (3) - $55,500
• Dallas High School (5) - $13,291.13
• Daniel Boone Area High School (1) - $1,141
• Dover Area High School (7) - $37,098
• Eastern York High School (1) - $15,080
• Elizabethtown High School (2) - $1,179
• Ephrata High School/Garden Spot High School/Cocalico High School (7) - $18,209
• Governor Mifflin High School (1) - $25,000
• Hempfield High School (1) - $38,158
• Hershey High School (16) - $13,600
• Indiana Area High School (1) - $1,167.80
• Lake Lehman High School (2) - $2,404
• Lampeter-Strasburg High School (5) - $25,814
• Lower Dauphin High School (3) - $22,239
• Lower Moreland High School (2) - $25,481
• Manheim Central High School (4) - $15,764
• Mechanicsburg High School (4) - $25,500
• Northern High School (6) - $17,700
• Palmyra High School (3) - $22,304
• Park Forest Middle School (1) - $13,102
• Pennridge High School (4) - $6,316
• Red Lion High School (3) - $28,329
• Simon Butler Elementary School - 6th Grade (2) - $9,312
• South Side Elementary School (3) - $2,453
• Southern Middle School (1) - $10,845
• Springfield High School (7) - $110,336
• Spring Grove Middle School (7) - $32,000
• Stewart Middle School (2) - $2,200
• Upper Dauphin High School (5) - $
• West Mifflin High School (1) - $2,000
• Westmont Hilltop High School (1) - $7,045
• Woodlyne School (1) - $1,500

Do you know of a school interested in starting a Four Diamonds mini-thon?  Download a copy of the Four Diamonds mini-thon manual and contact Linda Barry, Four Diamonds Assistant Coordinator, at 717-531-1317 or by email at lbarry@psu.edu, to help you get started.