In memory of Megan.

Senior Haley Frey decided to become a student leader of Penn Manor High School's Mini-THON club to honor the memory of her late best friend Megan Martin.

Megan, who would have been a senior this year, died during her sixth-grade year.

"I lost my best friend to cancer," Haley said. "That's why I got involved."

Penn Manor's Mini-THON club raises funds for Four Diamonds, an organization that helps kids with cancer and pays for all the expenses insurance doesn't pay for, adviser BJ Kramer said.

"Me and a couple of my close friends went through (the loss of Megan) together," Haley said. "It was a very, very hard time, but coming into high school knowing this club was making such a difference for kids like Megan, families like hers (inspired me). I saw the impact Four Diamonds had on her life. Her family did not have to worry about anything except being with their daughter, which is such a burden that is taken care of for them."

Haley frequently visited Megan at the hospital in Hershey and got a firsthand look at the good Four Diamonds does. "I met a lot of the people who worked for Four Diamonds and the doctors," Haley said. "Megan was happy. She was going through chemotherapy, but she was still herself, which was incredible to see. I took it for granted a lot when I was younger. Looking back on it now, Four Diamonds made such a difference in her life that I will never understand, but to be able to be a little bit of a stepping stone for her in making that happen is just incredible."

Penn Manor will celebrate its Four Diamonds fundraising efforts during a Mini-THON Community Night from 7 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, in the gym at the school, 100 E. Cottage Ave., Millersville. The event will include games, food, laser tag and a bounce house, along with information about Mini-THON.

"It's for the people in the community, kids, families of the high school students to come and see all the work that the high school kids have been doing all year to raise money for Four Diamonds," Kramer said. "See what Four Diamonds is all about and what these kids at Penn Manor are doing."

Led by Haley, classmate Emily Mummert, and Kramer, there are 50 students in Mini-THON leadership positions, and more than 100 students are members of the club.

"It's incredible," Haley said. "It's being part of something bigger than yourself, which is something not a lot of high-schoolers have the opportunity to do on such a large scale."

Kramer is in her 10th year as club adviser. "I have such a heart for this because I can't imagine going through this, being a parent myself, but also encouraged and inspired by the strength of these families that have to go through it," she said. "Any way we can support them, I'm down for doing it. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of stress, but I know it's worth it because we have families in the district who struggle with things like this. We're not just doing it for something out in the world that we never see. It's our own Penn Manor family that we're helping."

Following the community night event, students will have their own celebration, which will begin at 11 p.m. on Feb. 14 and run until 5 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15.

"It's an event for the kids to celebrate the hard work that they've done all year," said Kramer. "It's a celebration kind of like THON, but definitely not on that scale. The students don't see a dime of what they raise. The whole fundraising effort is very selfless."

During the event, Kramer and a couple students will donate their hair to make wigs for cancer patients. There will be games, sports tournaments, trivia, plenty of food, laser tag, a bounce house, dancing, and a sundae bar.

"It's just a lot of stuff that high-schoolers would be interested in doing," Frey said. "Lots of sporting events."

Penn Manor's Mini-THON holds several fundraisers throughout the year. On Math Stall Day, math teachers count donated coins, which stalls class. The most recent Math Stall Day raised more than $4,000. Other events include FFA line dancing, food sales, and a Powder Puff game. "Different clubs and organizations jump in to help out," said Kramer. "It's a big team effort."

People may make tax-deductible donations year round on Donor Drive by visiting https://fourdiamonds.donordrive.com, clicking Find an Event, and searching for "Penn Manor High School."

A faculty vs. students basketball game will be held in the Penn Manor High School gym at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, which is Megan Martin's birthday. The admission cost will go to Four Diamonds. Anyone who donates toys to the Megan Martin Toy Drive will receive free admission to the game.