The Gator Gang, a Relay for Life-Hanover team, will host its first Family Game Day fund raiser, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the Pennsylvania National Guard Armory, 51 W. Clearview Road, Hanover.

The event will feature free board/card games, coloring pages and interactive items, as well as low-cost carnival-style games, toys, cancer awareness goods and refreshments. Bring the entire family and join in the fun while helping to fight back against cancer.

Admission is free.

Relay For Life-Hanover is a 24-hour event held annually at South Western High School. It celebrates cancer survivors and caregivers, remembers those who have lost their battle, and urges supporters to fight back against further spreading of the disease. This year it will be held from noon July 13 to noon July 14.

For more information, call Dawn, at 476-5413, or Jennifer, at 632-6495.

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York Haven Elementary School’s annual McTeacher night fund raiser is 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, at McDonald’s, 4245 N. George St. Extended, Manchester.

Come see the teachers and Mr. March (principal) take orders. A portion of all orders will benefit York Haven Elementary School.

Coupons are required when placing an order. They can be picked up at York Haven Elementary, 360 Cassel Road, or at any school within the Northeastern School District.

For more information, call the school at 266-5007 or email Maria Pender at penderm@nesd.k12.pa.us.

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Autism York is sponsoring its annual Autism Expo, Walk for Autism, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at Central York High School.

The two-themed event is held indoors. The expo features a vendor fair, a talent showcase, a supervised children’s play area, and family activities. Admission is free. The walk is held on the gymnasium track. To become involved, go to www.autismyork.org and click on the Expo & Walk tab for participation information.

The event is a major fund raiser for the organization, to support the ongoing free programs offered to local families and individuals affected by autism spectrum disorders.

For more information, call Stacy Kunkel at 578-5217 or email info@autismyork.org.

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By TERRI REUTER
Publications/public information coordinator,
Southern York County School District

Students at Southern Elementary School opened their hearts and change purses for families in need recently by collecting spare change to benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey.

The school was given one dollar in “seed money,” and the students were challenged to see how they could make it grow, first-grade teacher Georgia Draucker said. In just two weeks, $742.27 was raised to help the charity, which provides a home-away-from-home for families of children who are being treated at the Hershey Medical Center.

Students in every grade participated in the fundraising effort. First-graders wrote advertisements to promote the event and then read them during the morning announcements. Students in third, fourth, and fifth grades also collected the donation jars each day.

This was the first year that students collected money for the Ronald McDonald House charity. “Kids just gave because it was a kind thing to do for someone less fortunate,” Draucker said.

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By TERRI REUTER
Publications/public information coordinator,
Southern York County School District

Glen Rock, Pa – Students at Southern Middle School danced, raced, and played games for seven hours recently to help children with cancer. As part of the Four Diamonds Fund, the school raised more than $18,000 to help combat childhood cancer. The Four Diamonds Fund, which began in 1972, assists children who are treated for cancer at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, along with their families.

During the fourth annual Mini-THON, the middle school students participated in an all-inclusive program that featured dodge ball, entertainment, games, music, crafts, and prizes. The students, however, had to stand for seven hours. They were entertained with a Zumba instructor, DJ, and the student bands, Frostbite and Black Jacks. In addition, the Bobby family, a local Four Diamonds family, visited with the student participants.

This year’s event raised $18,782.28, far exceeding the $12,728 that was reached last year, said Laura Szkudlapski, English teacher, and Southern Middle School Four Diamonds Fund advisor. Inspired by Penn State’s yearly dance event, THON, the Mini-THON was the culmination of a year-long fundraising effort.

“You should be very proud of your contribution,” she told students at a recent pep rally that was held in their honor. “Parents, students and community members were so generous.”

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