“Every person who has played a hand in or has supported THON breathed life into my husband. Their tireless efforts truly inspired him to keep the mission of Four Diamonds alive, and I am so grateful to be able to support those individuals in any way that I can moving forward.”

—Irma Millard, co-founder of Four Diamonds and Penn State donor

When Charles and Irma Millard learned of their young son Christopher’s cancer diagnosis, it would have been easy to allow fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion to consume their family. But through his bravery and positive attitude, Christopher wouldn’t let that happen—and his strength helped fuel a worldwide movement to defeat childhood cancer.

In 1972, Charles and Irma founded Four Diamonds, an organization designed to assist children and families dealing with a pediatric cancer diagnosis. Since its founding, Four Diamonds has helped over 4,800 families by covering 100% of their medical bills. Four Diamonds also supports pediatric cancer research at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.

“Seeing the support that Four Diamonds has generated throughout the years has meant so much to our family,” Irma said. “The support that we received from the Jimmy Fund when Chris was diagnosed made such a profound impact on our lives, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to provide that same support to families who have been and are currently impacted by this disease.”

The scope of Four Diamonds’ impact is, in part, thanks to a powerful relationship with THON, Penn State’s dance marathon. This year marked the 50th anniversary of THON—an anniversary that was celebrated with a record-breaking $13.7 million raised for Four Diamonds during THON 2022. Since teaming with Four Diamonds, THON has become the world’s largest student-run philanthropy and has raised over $190 million in support of fighting childhood cancer. All of the proceeds from THON are used by Four Diamonds to fulfill its mission.

This year also marked the first THON since Charles’s passing in late 2021. It was a bittersweet moment for the entire Millard family, but Charles’s memory lives on through the unwavering devotion of those who are carrying on his life’s work.

“When Charles visited Penn State and learned about THON, it was love at first sight,” Irma said. “The THON community embraced the mission of Four Diamonds and helped to transform it into the resource that it is today.”

The Millards’ legacy is defined by the “Four Diamonds”—courage, wisdom, honesty, and strength—their son wrote about in a short story that inspired the name. But their legacy is also defined by their lifetimes of service and their personal philanthropy. In addition to their giving to THON, Charles and Irma have demonstrated their dedication to Penn Staters by making annual gifts to the Penn State Alumni Association and creating a $100,000 planned gift to the Four Diamonds Fund.

“Although we are not Penn State graduates, the University community welcomed us as one of their own,” Irma said. “We became acutely aware of the amazing things that Penn Staters can accomplish through our special relationship with THON, and we recognize the importance of supporting them by providing the resources they need to succeed in chasing their passions for many years to come.”

Many annual donors to THON and Four Diamonds do not realize they can leave a bequest to benefit Four Diamonds and support the efforts of THON. If you, like the Millards, are interested in providing this type of future support, please contact The Office of Gift Planning at 888-800-9170 (toll free) or giftplanning@psu.edu to discuss your options for adding a future gift to your plans.