1. 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.

2. 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 in
our quest. Together, we will conquer
childhood cancer.
Christopher Millard
1958 – 1972
Lovingly remembered

3. 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.

4. Childhood Cancer Research
1972
Success rate for childhood cancers hovers below 50%.
The Four Diamonds Fund
1972
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.
THON
1973
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

5. Penn State Hershey Medical Center
1963
$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.”

6. THON
1992
THON breaks $1 million fundraising milestone.
1998
Just six years later, THON raises $2 million.
Four Diamonds Mini-THON Program
1993
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.
Research
Late 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.

7. 1980’s and 1990’s
Steady Growth
Throughout 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.

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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 Grows
2008
$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

11. 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

12. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. “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 Hospital
Office of University Development, A120
600 Centerview Drive, P.O. Box 852
Academic Support Building, Suite 1103
Hershey, PA 17033-0852
Telephone: 717-531-6086
www.FourDiamonds.org
U.Ed. MED 6818-13 DEV