Four Diamonds Mini-THON recognized Taylor Hagenkotter for raising money in the 2022-2023 Mini-THON.
HATBORO / HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —A recent Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate has shown strength and now she's earned Strength.
Four Diamonds Mini-THON recognized Taylor Hagenkotter, an alumna of Hatboro-Horsham High School Class of 2023, with its Strength award.
Hagenkotter, who is a member of the 2022-2023 Mini-THON Student Leadership Council, was given this award for her determination, collaboration, inclusion, and teamwork at the 2023 Mini-THON Leadership Summit in Hershey last month.
Along with the recognition, Four Diamonds awarded a $500 credit to Hatboro-Horsham’s 2023-2024 Mini-THON.
“For me, winning the Strength award means that all of my determination to raise money forpediatric cancer was recognized,” Hagenkotter said. “Winning this award was something thatnot only recognized my own efforts, but also the efforts of the Mini-THON leaders, members,teachers and faculty, and the student body of the high school and Keith Valley.”
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Due to COVID restrictions, the 2022-2023 school year was the first year since the pandemicthat students could really push for fundraisers.
"This year was the first year that we even came close to the record of $26,172 that was set in2019,” Hagenkotter said. “We were able to raise $35,070.32, which was a new record forHatboro-Horsham Mini-THON.”
Hagenkotter and six other Hatboro-Horsham students joined more than 500 student leaders andadvisors for the annual Mini-THON Leadership Summit to share best practices and ideas,celebrate successes, and inspire each other to continue to fight to conquer childhood cancerthrough their school’s Mini-THON programs.
Hagenkotter had the opportunity to present with junior Allie Thompson, who is the 2024 Mini-THON Overall. They presented all of the fundraisers that the Hatboro-Horsham School District completed for the 2022-2023 school year to make Mini-THON a success.
“I also enjoyed and was inspired by the other award winners, other leaders that I talked to, andespecially the Four Diamonds family speakers,” she said. “When the Four Diamonds familyspeakers were talking about their personal experiences with their children battling cancer, it wasreally eye-opening since it’s not something that you get to hear of often.”
Mini-THONs are modeled after the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, or THON,the world’s largest student-run philanthropy.
Since 1993, Mini-THON has raised more than $64 million.
The funds raised are used to drive the discovery of new and improved treatments and cures for childhood cancer to help kids around the world. Four Diamonds also supports families by covering all medical expenses not paid for by insurance for every eligible child, regardless of income.
At the Summit, students revealed that $6.2 million was raised by more than 200 schools to helpconquer childhood cancer in the 2022-2023 school year.
Hagenkotter is currently a freshman at Penn State, working towards a major in chemistry and aminor in biology on the Pre-MED track.
“My goal is to go to med school to work in pediatric oncology or enter pediatric cancerresearch,” she said. “I am also getting involved with THON this year to continue raising moneyand awareness for pediatric cancer.”
While Hagenkotter continues THON at Penn State, she is excited to watch Hatboro-Horsham’snew Mini-THON team continue to fundraise and break school records.