Mini-THON

The long-standing partnership of Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, the Four Diamonds Fund, THON, and Mini-THON.

UNITED FOR A COMMON CAUSE:

A cure for all childhood cancers.

The Impact of One Life

40 YEARS AGO, a young boy named Christopher Millard died of cancer. His parents, in the midst of their grief, made a decision that has touched the lives of thousands of people, across generations, creating a ripple of energy that continues today. His spirit lives in all who are part of the Four Diamonds Fund.

Because he lived, thousands of children and their families have been helped. Tens of thousands of students of all ages have been inspired and moved to help. Millions of dollars have been raised ($100 million, to be precise).

Those dollars represent more than money. They represent the sweat and tears of thousands of people who care enough to do something. They represent a bond that has been forged by a common goal.

This young boy, who was wise beyond his years, left a gift to all in the form of a story. His story called forth four noble characteristics needed to conquer adversity – courage, wisdom, honesty, and strength. His story continues to be a source of hope for so many.

We see his words embodied every day in the young cancer patients who battle so courageously, who demonstrate strength, who open themselves honestly to share their stories with others, and who gain wisdom throughout their journey.

We are a community. Whether our role is that of patient, survivor, family member, student, friend, caregiver, or administrator, we are connected. We are here for one purpose: to conquer childhood cancer.

Today, we celebrate life, hope, and love. The impact of this young boy’s life has been felt through generations. Because of his life, and his parents’ desire to help others, many lives have been changed. Lives have been saved. Children with cancer have been able to grow up and bear life to the next generation … and they now join us inour quest. Together, we will conquer childhood cancer. Christopher Millard

1958 – 1972Lovingly remembered

1960’s and 1970’s

The Early YearsA Gift Fund is Created

When Christopher Millard was battling cancer, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center was in its first years of operation. The success rate for childhood cancers hovered below 50%, which meant that more than half of all childhood cancer patients died from their disease within five years. Sadly, Christopher lost his three-year battle on December 21, 1972. Within hours, his parents, Charles and Irma Millard, created a gift fund to help other families whose children were fighting cancer at Penn State Hershey

Medical Center. Little did they know that this gift fund, called the Four Diamonds Fund, would spur the growth of a sophisticated pediatric cancer program at this still-new medical center.

A Tradition is Born

A few months after Christopher’s death, students at Penn State University began holding an annual Dance Marathon and donating fundraising proceeds to local charities. Five years later, Christopher’s father Charles Millard spoke on a student radio

program at Penn State in hopes to garner volunteers and donations to grow the Four Diamonds Fund. The Overall Chairperson for the Dance Marathon happened to be working on the program and was moved by the Four Diamonds story. He saw an opportunity for the groups to align their efforts.

In 1977, the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) raised $26,685 for Four Diamonds, infusing the gift fund with much needed financial support and enthusiasm. The following year, Jimmy Cefalo served as the Overall Chair of

THON. A Nittany Lion wide receiver and All-American football player, Jimmy publicly made a pact that THON would continue to donate all of their proceeds to the Four Diamonds Fund as long as the funds would be used for research and treatment of childhood cancer at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

Childhood Cancer Research1972

Success rate for childhood cancers hovers below 50%.

The Four Diamonds Fund1972

The Four Diamonds Fund is founded by Charles and Irma Millard. The Mission – to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children treated at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and their families through superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research.

THON1973

Penn State students conduct the first Dance Marathon, raising $2,000 for the Butler County Association for Retarded Children.

1977

THON selects the Four Diamonds Fund as beneficiary of their efforts; raises $26,685.00.

ABOVE: Charles and Irma Millard. RIGHT: Christopher Millard, age eight, takes little sister, Stacia, age five, under his wing on her first day of Kindergarten

Penn State Hershey Medical Center1963

$50 million is donated from the Hershey Trust to Penn State University to build the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine and the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

1966

Ground was broken, Pennsylvania State University joined with leaders from the Hershey community to build a medical school, teaching hospital, and research center in honor of Milton S. Hershey.

1970

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center admitted its first patient in October.

1970

Dr. Nicholas Nelson hired - 1st pediatrician.

1971

Pediatric floor opens at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.Samuel Hinkle, then-president of the Hershey Chocolate Corporation (left) and Eric Walker, president of Penn State from 1956 to 1970, recreate the fabled “$50 Million Phone Call.”

THON1992

THON breaks $1 million fundraising milestone.

1998

Just six years later, THON raises $2 million.

Four Diamonds Mini-THON Program1993

Hershey High School hosts the first Four Diamonds Mini-THON. Raises $1,500.

1999

Four Diamonds Mini-THON program exceeds $100,000 raised in a single year with 3 schools participating.

ResearchLate 1990s

Success Rate for childhood cancers is around 80%. Great move forward, however 1 in 5 children with cancer will still die from their disease within 5 years.

1999

Four Diamonds Research Institute is founded; Creating new knowledge to save the lives of children with cancer part of Children’s

Oncology Group.

1980’s and 1990’s

Steady GrowthThroughout the next two decades, the bonds between THON, Four Diamonds, and the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital continued to grow. Student groups raising money for THON began to “adopt” Four Diamonds families and connected to the Four Diamonds Fund’s mission on a much more personal basis. The influx of student philanthropy enabled the Four Diamonds Fund to lessen the financial impact for the families whose children were fighting cancer at the Children’s Hospital, build comprehensive programs to assist both the children and their families, and to assemble

an outstanding team of specialists to address all of the complex needs of pediatric cancer patients.

THON Inspires the Inception of Four Diamonds Mini-THONs THON began to grow, involving more students and raising more money. As their fundraising results grew, the community’s admiration for their efforts grew. Crowds watching from the stands at the White Building at University Park were amazed when THON raised an unprecedented $1 million in 1992.

THON’S success inspired students from Hershey High School in 1993 to create their own dance marathon program. By 1999, three schools were holding Four Diamonds Mini-THONs and together raising more than $100,000 each year.

Four Diamonds Center for Pediatric Cancer Research is Created

By the late 1990s, the aggregate success rate for treating all childhood cancers rose to 80%. Despite this significant progress, the reality remains

that 1 in 5 children with cancer will die from their disease within five years. Motivated by the understanding that only research would lead to cures, the Four Diamonds Center for Pediatric Cancer Research was founded in 1999, and set a lofty goal to raise $8.5 million for a pediatric cancer research endowment.

Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital 2000

The Pediatric Department at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital staffs 60 faculty in 15 divisions/sections.

2004

THON pledges $10 million to the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital Building project.

2007

The dream of a free standing Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital takes a step closer to reality as a goal of $65 million is included in Penn State’s seven year, $2 billion campaign called For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students.

2009

It’s announced that $65 million has been raised for Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, and ground is broken to build a 252,000 square-foot, five-story, free-standing Children’s Hospital.

2010

The Pediatric Department at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital grows to 113 faculty in 16 divisions/sections.

In 2013, Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital has: 4,598 patients discharged, 1,851 births, and 150,087 pediatric outpatient visits

A New Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital

As we entered the new millennium, the Pediatric Department at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital was rapidly growing. Penn State Hershey Medical Center committed to raising $65 million to build a new, free-standing Children’s Hospital as part of the University’s For the Future fundraising campaign. THON quickly pledged $10 million towards the project. In November 2009, the goal was met and construction began.

Raising Money For The Kids!

Across the state, thousands of students were volunteering with THON and Four Diamonds Mini-THONs. Their dedication and passion brought astounding fundraising results. In just 11 years, THON tripled its results and topped $9 million dollars annually while Mini-THONs grew to 64 schools raising more than $1 million. Their success provided stable funding to Four Diamonds. As research endowments grew to nearly $30 million, two endowed chair positions were filled and

four research labs were conducting multiple concurrent research projects–all working to create new knowledge to save lives of children with cancer.

The New Millennium

Booming Growth

Four Diamonds Mini-THON Program Sees Exponential Growth 2000

$151,924 raised by 7 schools.

2007

$600,000 raised by 34 schools.

2009

$975,000 raised by 52 schools.

The Four Diamonds Research Program Grows2008

$20 million Four Diamonds Experimental Therapeutics Endowment created.

2010

Two key lead researchers are added to the team.

2010

Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospial becomes part of elite POETIC research consortium.

2012

Endowment for Four Diamonds Molecular Oncology is established.

“There is a consensus that there will not be a further rise in cure rates without new agents.” Peter Adamson, M.D., Director, COG

THON Grows at a Rapid Pace 2000

THON raises $3 million.

2007

THON raises $5 million.

2012

THON raises $10 million.

2013

THON raises $12 million.

“I’m told my generation is selfish and doesn’t think about what we can do to help other people. I hope we are proving them wrong.” Kirsten Kelly, THON 2011 Overall Chairperson

Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital 2011

The final steel beam is welded into place.

2012

Children’s Hospital is recognized as a top Children’s Hospital by US News and World Report, including being recognized for the first time in the specialty of Pediatric Oncology.

2012

More than 100,000 pediatric patients were treated since 1961.

2013

The Children’s Hospital opens in February.

Four Diamonds Research Institute 2013

With 41 funded researchers conducting more than 77 ongoing projects, the Four Diamonds research team focuses on basic science, experimental therapeutics, molecular oncology, and personalized medicine. As part of the Children’s Oncology Group and POETIC, the Children’s Hospital participated in its first Phase 1 clinical trail for pediatric oncology in 2013.

THON 2013

Raised $12,374,034.46, bringing total raised for Four Diamonds Fund to more than $101 million.

Four Diamonds Mini-THON Program 2013

More than $2.1 million was raised from 100 participating schools, bringing the cumulative total raised through this program to $10 million. The fundraising growth rate over the past 10 years is 1,147%.

Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital 2013

New, free standing Children’s Hospital opens February 2013, housing the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Outpatient Clinic and integrating all pediatric patient care services into one state-of-the-art facility.

In the Last Year Pediatric Oncology Program Receives National Acclaim

In 2013, Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital was recognized as a top Children’s Hospital by U.S. News and World report for Pediatric Oncology. The division has an accredited fellowship program and actively participates in national research consortiums. Each year, the hospital’s 17 full-time Pediatric Hematologists / Oncologists and four Ph.D. faculty members provide a full spectrum of state-of-the-art care to nearly 100 new patients and 500 patients who are continuing their care.

Since February 2013, all of that care has been provided in the new free-standing Children’s Hospital.

Dancing Feet and Caring Hearts have Saved Lives

THON students have raised more than $101 million for the Four Diamonds Fund, maintaining their status as the largest student run philanthropy in the world. Additionally with lifetime contributions of more than $10 million, the Four Diamonds Mini-THON program has rightly asserted, “there’s nothing Mini about us!”

We are all stronger for the partnerships that have been forged. What began as the wish of one family to help others has resulted in a program like no other. Because of the Four Diamonds Fund, thousands of people have been helped and lives have been saved.

“I once read somewhere that those things we do for ourselves alone die with us. Those that we do for others and humanity live on and become immortal.”

— Charles Millard

at Penn State Hershey Children’s HospitalOffice of University Development, A120600 Centerview Drive, P.O. Box 852Academic Support Building, Suite 1103Hershey, PA 17033-0852

Telephone: 717-531-6086 www.FourDiamonds.org

U.Ed. MED 6818-13 DEV