Gov. Mifflin students dance night away to fight cancer - Reading Eagle

Dylan Moser spent the better part of his young life battling cancer.

But the Shillington 10-year-old beat cancer twice, and the disease is now in remission.

Dylan was all smiles Friday as he told his story to more than 250 Gov. Mifflin High School students, who danced the night away in the intermediate school to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer.

"I'm 100 percent better now," Dylan said to a cheering crowd at Gov. Mifflin's second annual Mini-THON, a 12-hour dance marathon to support the cause.

Organized by Gov. Mifflin senior Timothy Hartung, also a cancer survivor, the Mini-THON generates money for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.

The fund was created in 1972 to help pay medical costs of young cancer patients and to assist with research.

Each year, Penn State University holds a 48-hour THON in State College, and the effort has spawned smaller dance marathons in high schools throughout the state.

Janell Moser, Dylan's mom, said she was thrilled to learn that Mifflin was hosting a Mini-THON.

Dylan was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 21/2 and spent six years in treatment before making a full recovery, she said.

And Dylan, his mom added, will likely carry the torch when it's his turn to dance.

"This is our school," Moser said. "I hope Dylan can continue the trend."

Leading up to Friday's dance, Mifflin students solicited pledges from donors. Organizers did not have a final fundraising count, but they hope to top the $30,000 contributed last year.

Students began dancing and playing games at 7 p.m. and planned to continue to 7 a.m. today.

Early in the night, senior Erin Kearney was teaching other students the group dance that Penn State students perform at their THON.

For Kearney, 18, it was her second time participating in the Mini-THON. She came, above all else, because of the enthusiasm Hartung puts into organizing the event.

For weeks, Hartung stood in front of the high school cafeteria trying to get kids to sign up, she said.

"It is awesome to see everyone come together for a good cause," Kearney said. "I think we see how much this means to him."

Hartung, who also battled leukemia, was left searching for words as he watched classmates spend hours dancing to help find a cure for a disease he faced.

Cancer changed him, Hartung said, and now that he's in remission, he is focused on fundraising and awareness.

"I am now more of an outgoing person," he said. "I would not have done something like this if I did not have cancer. It brought me out of my shell."

Contact Darrin Youker: 610-371-5032 or dyouker@readingeagle.com.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.