Springfield's Mini-THON Raises Funds, Awareness Like Penn State's THON

Springfield High School's mini-THON raised $170,262.58 in 2012.
Photo submitted by Chelsea Pierce.

Mini-THONs are just like Penn State’s THON, but they’re run by high school, middle school and elementary students. In 2012, there were 80 mini-THONs.

Springfield High School has had mini-THONs for the last 10 years in the memory of Steve Stefani, a Social Studies teacher who passed away in 2002 from lung cancer. Springfield rose over $170,000 this year.

“A mini-THON is a chance for high school students to do the same thing the big THON does,” said John Gildea, who has been Springfield’s mini-THON’s faculty advisor for the last seven years. “It allows students to have leadership and compassion for these children, and it allows them to come together as a school and raise donations for the Four Diamonds Fund.”

Gildea is a Penn State alumnus who danced three times at Penn State’s THON, so he knows what THON is about. He brings students who are a part of Springfield’s leadership team up to Penn State’s THON each year.

“It really hits home for them when they see family hour and the total being revealed,” Gildea said.

The experience for some of Gildea’s students has prompted them to attend Penn State.