Dr. Craig Hillemeier issued the following message upon the conclusion of THON 2016.
Dear Colleagues,
I am thrilled to share the great news that Penn State students raised an incredible $9,770,332 for Four Diamonds at Penn State Hershey during THON 16 this weekend.
More than 15,000 students volunteered 5 million hours over the past year to organize and execute THON, while also juggling their studies and other activities. On behalf of Penn State Hershey, I am grateful to each and every one of them.
Their generosity and commitment to Four Diamonds ensures that hundreds of our youngest patients who have been diagnosed with cancer can receive the most advanced care at our Children’s Hospital at no cost to their families. Four Diamonds also fuels our Four Diamonds Pediatric Cancer Research Center, dedicated to understanding, treating and curing pediatric cancers.
This year’s theme was B"elieve Beyond Boundaries" and many of our Four Diamonds families joined the festivities at the Bryce Jordan Center, where THON took place, or at our own party here at the Children’s Hospital. Some of the Penn State students who danced or volunteered did so in honor of, or memory of, someone they love.
Thank you to our staff who played a role in the success of THON activities this past weekend, and to the doctors, nurses, specialty care providers, researchers and staff who every day deliver the Four Diamonds mission to our young patients who are fighting cancer.
Charles Millard, who co-founded Four Diamonds after he and his wife, Irma, lost their 14-year-old son Christopher to cancer, once said, “When we do things for ourselves, they die with us. When we do things for humanity, they live on forever.”
The generosity of these Penn State students lives on through our young patients, their families and all of humanity.
For The Kids,
A. Craig Hillemeier, doctor of medicineDean, CEO and senior vice president for health affairs