Photo By Todd Wivell | 250407-A-PV259-3001 CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – Students participating in the Creating Hope...... read more read more
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future,” said President John F. Kennedy.
One Letterkenny Army Depot employee, Jeremy Crouse, Directorate of Supply and Transportation deputy director, goes above and beyond to embody the words of the former president.
“In 2012, there were four local children, with ties to the depot, battling cancer and we dabbed them the Fab 4,” said Crouse. “By 2014, there were seven children, and we called them the Spectacular 7.
“I knew we wanted to help and so we created CHAMP, which means Creating Hope And Making Progress.”
CHAMP is a county-wide dance marathon that benefits kids in need in local Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, which neighbors the depot. Senior high students enrolled in the six county secondary schools raise money and dance for a cause.
The six county schools include: Mount Union, Juniata Valley, Southern Huntingdon County, and Huntingdon high schools, Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center, and New Day Charter.
Each school has school advisors who oversee the school’s team. The schools have student leaders called captains who take the lead, and CHAMP volunteers mentor the captains.
“Each year, we have between 500-600 students/dancers and 100 adult volunteers,” said Crouse. “There are two trophies that can be won each year. The CHAMP Cup which is a per capita figured out by how much money the school earns divided by total number of students in ninth-12th grades, and the Spectacular 7 trophy that goes to the highest earner.
“Our goal is to unite our county and help those in need. This past year was our 11th annual event and seeing everything and everyone come together in our county is nothing short of amazing.”
Crouse stated that Penn State’s THON is their inspiration.
According to the Thon.org website, “THON is a student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children & families impacted by childhood cancer. Our mission is to provide emotional & financial support, spread awareness, & ensure funding for critical research—all in pursuit of a cure.”
Crouse said this initiative is a family affair. His wife is a Mount Union Elementary School band and choir teacher and serves as one of the CHAMP advisors at Mount Union High School. His daughter, who is in the fourth grade, is his sidekick every year and he shared that this year she is going to get even more involved.
Mason Farine is a LEAD Directorate of Resource Management budget analyst who attended the CHAMP event in 2018 as a high school student.
“We stayed up all night, dancing and doing activities to raise money for local families dealing with hardships,” said Farine. “I was just one of the students taking part and it was nice knowing that I was a part of something much bigger.”
Farine spoke to the importance of the CHAMP initiative.
“I think CHAMP is vital because it is all about community and giving back. We are a smaller, close-knit area where most people either know each other or have heard of one another, so whenever we can help people that are close to home, it feels much more personal.
“This event shows that students can get involved in the community and it lets the families in the community know they are not alone. It shows everyone, especially students, how much we can do when the community works together.
“CHAMP was one of those high school experiences that will forever stick with me. I made some great memories with friends and classmates for an awesome cause. It is great to know that it is still helping people today.”
Since it started in 2014, CHAMP has collected over $850,000 and helped more than 110 local families.
For more information on this program, visit the CHAMP Facebook page at https://facebook.com/champhco or email champhco@gmail.com.
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2025 15:52 |
| Story ID: | 494867 |
| Location: | CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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