Pa. high school students dance to support children with cancer

SHARON, Pa. -- More than 250 Mercer County high school students will spend a good part of this weekend dancing the hours away.
It's not a teen dance but a 12-hour dance marathon to raise money to support children with cancer.
The "Mini-THON," sponsored by Penn State Shenango, is a local event that will support the main annual 48-hour Penn State Dance Marathon, commonly referred to at Penn State as "THON," to be held at University Park in February.
THON, started more than 30 years ago, is the largest student-run philanthropy in the nation, and money raised by its participants goes to The Four Diamonds Fund, which helps ease the financial burden of securing treatment for juvenile cancer victims.
It also supports juvenile cancer research and provides child life and social services for patients and families at Penn State's Children's Hospital at The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
The event begins at 8 p.m. Friday at the F.H. Buhl Club gymnasium at Pine Avenue and East State Street and will end at 8 a.m. Saturday.
More than 30 Penn State Shenango students will help coordinate the Mini-THON, which will draw high school students from Sharon, Sharpsville, Hermitage, Farrell, Reynolds, Mercer and West Middlesex.