Since 2016, MiniTHON has been a key activity for many Southern Lehigh High School students and staff. A smaller version of THON, which is held annually at Penn State University Park, it raises money for The Four Diamonds Foundation, whose mission is to conquer childhood cancer by assisting eligible families and covering their medical expenses.
Last year, the MiniTHON club raised $25,769.33 for Four Diamonds; however, this year Southern Lehigh’s MiniTHON club ceased operations due to the absence of a teacher adviser.
In response, junior Farrah Smith decided to take action into her own hands to continue raising money for this important cause. With the help of English teacher Mrs. Lauren Tocci, the former MiniTHON adviser, Smith devised a plan to present to high school principal Mr. Joshua Miller.
“I came up with the idea to run the snack cart, and I talked to Tocci about it one day, and she was all in,” said Smith.
After she gained approval by Mr. Miller, Farrah reached out to friends and former MiniTHON club members to help spread the word.
“We’ve been running the cart every Spartan [period] day 4 and day 6 for over a month and we’ve raised a lot of money,” said Smith. “The first time we ran the cart this year, we raised over $60, which was exciting.”
The goal is to raise as much money as possible. While the amount of money raised from the snack cart last year is unknown, this year’s students hope to get close to or even surpass that total. This is especially important to them since the money is going towards a good cause that helps children and their families who battle childhood cancer.
The absence of MiniTHON this year was upsetting for some students who have been involved in this club for many years. Although the snack cart aims to keep the club’s legacy alive, students will still miss the annual 12-hour MiniTHON event, where students could participate in karaoke, play in bounce houses, and more.

“It stinks because MiniTHON was a really big group of people, and now [fewer] than ten people have contributed,” said Smith, “I’m hoping that we can spread the word and get more people involved in the future.”
As we approach the winter months and it gets colder outside, the snack cart will be selling hot chocolate along with the regular snacks, drinks, and sweet treats. Everything is set at the price of one dollar, and students operating the cart will be accepting cash and Venmo.
“We are always looking for donations of any kind,” said Smith, “and if you don’t want to donate, we could always use help running the cart during Spartan [period].”