TigerThon, the annual spring dance that is taking place at NASH on May 6th, is fast approaching, and excitement has been ripe among students. The event brings in students of all ages and is a hit year after year. But the event is about much more than dancing.

“TigerThon is our school’s pediatric cancer fundraiser that raises financial support and awareness for our sponsor’s cancer treatments,” senior captain Harron Lee said. “The event itself, along with the club’s responsibilities, are truly crucial because our work directly impacts the patients in a good way.”

The organization helps bring in money for families of children with cancer, in addition to spreading awareness about the battle against the illness.

“It raises money for kids with pediatric cancer so they can get the things and treatments they need This is important because we are able to help children and their families,” senior Maya Wolovich said.

All donations go to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Pennies From Heaven, a local charity that helps families with hospitalized children. TigerThon’s donations help these families to pay medical bills and hopefully relieve a little stress.

This year’s TigerThon captains are Cate Maldia and Harron Lee.

“I have been captain along with Cate for a few years now,” Lee said. “And as this year’s senior leaders, we plan and organize everything from fundraising to event execution.”

TigerThon reaches beyond the walls of NASH, connecting schools across the district.

“I am captain of the middle and elementary schools,” senior Dylan Dayton said. “My job is to get more publicity for the events that happen. We try to get as much involvement as possible, from putting up posters and signs to sending out emails every bit helps.”

Getting younger kids involved is important for the cause. When the next generation is invested, it can make a big difference to TigerThon’s continued efforts. 

This year, the organization has held a number of events to raise money, including selling whiteout T- shirts for football games and holding a Powderpuff game, a Chipotle fundraiser, and an ice skating event over the winter.

“A lot of work is poured into each year, striving to maintain our reputation of holding entertaining events, while raising over five to six digits of money for our patients,” Lee said.

The money comes not only from student donations.

“Getting businesses to donate is so important to the cause,” senior Ava Billman said. “Local businesses help us a lot in our goals. The people in our community also help us so much in our cause. It’s great to see the community to come together for such an important reason.”

The culmination of a year’s worth of effort is the dance, which brings in additional proceeds and concludes with the unveiling of the total amount raised. And there’s more to the event than dancing — games, food, and more await attendees this Saturday at 6:00 pm in the NASH gym.