A group of dedicated runners have arrived in State College to deliver emotional letters from children at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital to the student dancers at THON.
The Hope Express is a relay run from Hershey to State College to raise awareness of Four Diamonds at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and THON. Five teams ran between 99 and 140 miles each over a 24-hour period, with team members alternating legs of the trek and handing off a backpack full of inspirational letters and cards from Children’s Hospital patients. Three of the Hope Express teams left from Penn State Hershey, while two others left from Camp Hill and Wellsboro, Tioga County.
The Hope Express ended on Friday afternoon in State College at THON, the culmination of the year’s fundraising efforts to benefit Four Diamonds. Last year’s Hope Express raised $156,000. In all, runners have raised more than $500,000 since the event began in 2007. More information about the Hope Express can be found at www.thehopeexpress.org/ftk.