Since its founding in 1972, Four Diamonds has supported more than 4,800 pediatric cancer patients and their families. The organization aims to provide children with the best medical care at Penn State Health Children's Hospital and fund research to develop treatments and cures for other children around the world.

One of the ways Four Diamonds raises funds to support its mission is through Mini-THON, a student-run philanthropy. It's an annual fundraiser where students must stay awake and stand for several hours to raise money to help conquer childhood cancer. As stated on http://www.thon.org, "Our mission is to provide emotional and financial support, spread awareness, and ensure funding for critical research - all in pursuit of a cure." The motto of Mini-THON is "FTK" because everything the students do during Mini-THON is "For The Kids."

During the 2021-22 school year, Lampeter-Strasburg High School (LSHS) was among the 161 schools that held a Mini-THON fundraiser, which culminated in a 12-hour event that LSHS hosted on March 18. While there, students played games and danced to stay awake and stand the entire time to raise money for Four Diamonds. The school's goal was to raise a minimum of $25,000, but students surpassed this amount by raising a total of more than $47,813.

LSHS physical education (PE) and health teacher Derrick Morgan decided to purchase two sets of cornhole boards with the intent of using them for his PE classes. He bought plain boards because he wanted students to decorate them and use them at Mini-THON. Art club members painted the boards blue, and then students in Todd Garber's Design Engineer II class affixed laser-cut logos and patterns. Garber's students were divided into four groups and each group had to come up with a master design that incorporated the "LS" logo. The project took about three weeks, and students got to participate in a miniature cornhole tournament once the boards were finished.

"All of the groups worked on the boards in addition to class time," stated Garber. "They went above and beyond the expectation to make sure it was done, done well, and done on time. I like the extra effort they put into it."

"Four Diamonds does really good things," commented Design Engineer II student Luke Wiley. "(My brother and I) have an aunt who is battling cancer right now, so any way we can help anybody who is going through the same stuff is just a great thing to do." Luke was in the same group as his brother Aidan. "I'm really satisfied with how the board turned out," said Aidan. "It was really nice to see so many people enjoy the board at Mini-THON."

Tori Heiserman, who was in a different group, had a leadership role in Mini-THON as the leader of the decorations committee. "I liked working with my group to come up with a design," she noted. "And Mini-THON went really well. I think it was just a really great time for everyone to come together."

Garber emphasized that LSHS staff members promote student involvement in Mini-THON and that Lindsay Shehan and Adam Titter co-advisine the event.

More information about Four Diamonds is available at https://fourdiamonds.org.