IN North Allegheny Summer 2019 | Page 22

INEVENTS FIFTH ANNUAL NA TIGERTHON! On Saturday, March 30, North Allegheny School District raised $100,925.81 at the Annual TigerThon, a student-run dance marathon in which NA students in grades K-12 raise money for local organizations dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer. More than 1,400 students filled the NASH gymnasium to dance from 5 to 11 p.m. Contributing to the success of TigerThon were 32 captains and 120 committee members who worked countless hours. “My favorite part of the whole evening was how carefully the event captain, senior Kristen Chomos, planned the final number reveal,” said NASH teacher and event sponsor Sharon Volpe. “The reveal is one of the best parts of the night.” The initial goal was to raise $50,000. Kristen did not share the running total with anyone until the night of the reveal. When the signs went up, and the crowd saw the number (more than double), the gym erupted with cheering and applauding. The captains relayed the message down the line like a game of telephone. In that moment, many of them burst into tears—tears of hope, pride, and joy in seeing the impact that a group of high school students can make on the community while being reminded that childhood cancer will be cured one day. All donations will benefit UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Hematology and Oncology Departments, along with local non-profit Pennies from Heaven. TigerThon has been recognized as UPMC’s largest high school dance-a- thon donor, and NASH students hope to uphold this reputation for years to come. PHOTOS BY PRIMETIME SHOTS 20 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE ❘ icmags.com Kristen Chomos, head captain of TigerThon, with Nora Misencik, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma at 4 months old. Today, Nora no longer has any evidence of disease.