Greater Hershey Area ALSO SERVING HUMMELSTOWN AND MIDDLETOWN
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FEBRUARY 24, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
LDHS Teachers Complete “24 In 24 Challenge” BY FRANCINE FULTON
hen Lower Dauphin High School (LDHS) teachers Scott Payonk and Michael Layser decided to hold a fundraiser for the school’s Mini-THON, of which they are co-advisers, they set a goal to raise $2,424, representing the fact that they planned to run 24 miles in 24 hours to complete the 24 In 24 Challenge. Not only did they meet their goal of completing the running challenge, but they also raised a total of $6,249 for Four Diamonds, a nonprofit organization that helps pay for treatments for children with pediatric cancer. Layser, who is the ceramics teacher at LDHS, and Payonk, the special education teacher, ran 1 mile every hour on the hour for 24 consecutive hours from noon on Dec. 23, 2020, through noon on Dec. 24, 2020. The LDHS community was invited to support their efforts by donating money for each lap they completed. “(Layser) ran on the track at the high school and I ran from my apartment,” Payonk explained. “Basically, he ran a mile around the track, and I ran a loop that I set up around my apartment. I ran into Hummelstown and looped back to my place.” “The last four hours were the toughest,” he added. “It started rain-
Food Bank Offers Free Dog, Cat Food To Pet Owners In Need BY FRANCINE FULTON
Lower Dauphin High School (LDHS) teachers Scott Payonk (front) and Michael Layser, co-advisers of the LDHS Mini-THON, recently completed the 24 In 24 Challenge, running 24 miles in 24 hours to raise money for Four Diamonds.
ing and made it a little difficult. As the fatigue set in, it really got hard.” Payonk said the 24 In 24 Challenge was held in lieu of the LDHS Jingle Jam 5K planned at Cassel Brookside Stables in Hummelstown that had to be canceled because of the pandemic. “We collected all monies (for the 24 In 24 Challenge) via a website,” he noted. “(The donations) came from the LDHS community, students and family members, and we donated (as well). We were thinking that we may break $3,000; we never thought we would raise more than $6,000.” Payonk said that because of COVID-19 there were no crowds cheering on the runners, but some
people did provide encouragement. “Some people throughout town knew me and knew I was doing this, and I saw some families and they cheered me on,” he said.
“(The donations) came from the LDHS community..... We were thinking that we may break $3,000; we never thought we would raise more than $6,000.” Fundraising events have been curtailed because of the pandemic, forcing the Mini-THON club to devise new events. “We do restaurant fundraisers. We did a Dafnos (Italian Grille) fundraiser two weeks prior to the event, and that gave us some
good funds,” Payonk noted. “We don’t want to ask for donations when businesses are already challenged. We are still brainstorming ideas.” Mini-THON at LDHS is modeled after the Penn State THON, and all money raised is donated to Four Diamonds, which covers 100% of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance for eligible Four Diamonds children. “(The Mini-THON) is pretty much run by the students. My coadviser and I just answer any questions they may have and (the students) bounce ideas off us. In general, the students really run the show,” Payonk stated. To learn more about the MiniTHON at LDHS, readers may visit www.facebook.com/LDHSFTK and www.instagram.com/ldhsminithon or follow LDHS Mini-THON on Twitter.
Pet owners in need of food for their dogs and cats are invited to visit the pet food bank that is offered by the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area (HSHA), 7790 Grayson Road, Harrisburg. The free pet food is available to those who are struggling to feed their pets because of financial hardships, with the goal of keeping more pets in their home and out of shelters. Because of the pandemic, the pet food bank has changed the way it operates. Last April, online sign-up became available, allowing people to register and choose a time to safely pick up the food in a drive-through format. “Before COVID-19, people would call in and say they need help and tell us how many pets they had and come in to get their food,” explained Amanda Brunish, HSHA director of marketing and outreach. “(People) See Food Bank pg 4
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Pop-Up Drive To Benefit Community . . . . . .2 Hotline Available To Aid Gardeners . . . . . . . . . .2 Neighborhood Chatter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . .10
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Michael Layser, who is the ceramics teacher at Lower Dauphin High School, created a medal for himself and fellow teacher Scott Payonk after the two teachers completed the 24 In 24 Challenge to raise funds for Four Diamonds by running 24 miles in 24 hours.
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