Kennett High School’s sixth annual Mini-THON will be held on Friday, May 21, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the grounds of Kennett Middle School. This year’s dinosaur-themed event has one goal: Making Cancer Extinct. 

The evening’s safe, socially-distanced festivities will consist of yard games, crafts, karaoke, lip sync, dodgeball, yoga, ultimate frisbee, and other fun activities, as well as a luminary walk designed to honor those who have lost their lives to cancer. Individual students raise money from friends and family who pledge to support their commitment. Currently, this year’s top fundraisers are seniors Gavin Maxwell and Zara Quraishi who have each received donations totaling $2,000. 

The Kennett Mini-THON would not be possible without generous support from the Kennett community. The KHS Mini-THON committee is grateful to this year’s sponsors --- Chatham Financial, Sinton Air Conditioning & Heating, Austin and Bednash Construction, Kennett Education Foundation, both locations of El Nayarit Mexican Food Stores, Baccellieri Family Dentistry, G & G Mushroom, Guadalajara Express, Sturtee LLC, and High Tech Auto Body --- for their dedication and stewardship. 

Faculty advisors for the event are Lisa Teixeira, KHS librarian and Humanitarian Club moderator, and Shawn Duffy, social studies teacher and Humanitarian Club assistant moderator. Student organizers are led by event co-chair seniors Gavin Maxwell and Emma Henderson and junior co-chair Grace Pruitt. The event’s music will be provided by students Vincent Poncet and Liam Mitchell. 

“I am incredibly honored by the opportunity to work with the dedicated students, faculty, and administrators at Kennett High School as we strive together to combat pediatric cancer. Our group seeks to not only raise money for Four Diamonds but to provide the community, in and out of school, with a framework for unity, inclusiveness, and fun,” said Teixeira. 

Event co-chair Gavin Maxwell commented, “It has been humbling to watch the KHS Mini-THON grow from an idea six years ago when my brother helped to lay its foundations to a tradition of generosity in our community. I'm grateful for the opportunity I've had to see the sincere willingness of others to contribute to a great cause.”

Co-chair Grace Pruitt added, “To see high schoolers come together for a cause such as Mini-THON is extremely heartwarming. It serves as a great reminder that we are more than capable of the things we put our mind to.” 

Through a variety of activities, Kennett students have already raised more than $17,000 toward this year’s total. Offering incentives seems to have been particularly effective in encouraging fundraising. Teachers Chris Gramlich, D.J. Augustine, and Ryan Battin took a pie in the face when students reached $3,000 in donations, and principal Dr. Jeremy Hritz and assistant principal Duane Kotz were duct taped to the cafeteria wall during all lunch shifts when donations hit the $5,000 mark. 

One in 285 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer before their twentieth birthday, a truly alarming statistic. Four Diamonds established Mini-THON as a way for high school students to join the fight against pediatric cancer. Based on Penn State University’s THON, Mini-THON has over 90,000 student volunteers in over 265 schools. Kennett High School has been a proud Mini-THON participating school for the past five years, raising nearly $200,000 and hoping to add to that impressive total with this year’s proceeds. 

If you would like to make a donation, please visit the KHS Mini-THON page at https://fourdiamonds.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=3113, search “Kennett High School donor drive,” or call the school at 610-444-6617 for more information.