Thumbs up: To the Red Lion Class of 2001, which gave up its 10-year reunion last year in favor of a memorial fundraiser in honor of a fallen classmate.

The class hosted the event Saturday in memory of Dan Zerbe, a member of an elite Air Force rescue unit who died in an attack almost a year ago in Afghanistan.

The sale of tickets and proceeds from food sales will benefit the That Others May Live Foundation, a nonprofit that provides support, scholarships, and tragedy assistance for family members of Air Force veterans who are killed or severely wounded.

"Last year was to be their 10th reunion, but they gave up on that idea and decided to do this instead, which is just amazing," said Zerbe's mother, Sue Zerbe. "You just don't ever know how many lives someone touched until they're not here."

Thumbs up: A pint-sized fundraiser from Springettsbury Township plans to donate $2,000 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Central PA.

Seven-year-old Madelyn Snare had already started her fundraising campaign in March before her mother, Jessica Georg, realized why her daughter borrowed her ironing board (a stand) and wanted to know how to spell "Ronald McDonald" (for her sign).

Madelyn had heard a family talk about their son's stay at the Ronald McDonald House -- which serves out-of-town families whose critically ill children are being treated at Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey -- and wanted to help.

The Stony Brook Elementary School first-grader and her 5-year-old sister, Linden, seeded the campaign with $1.36 from their piggy banks and collected more from Madelyn's classmates and teachers.

Madelyn was on pace to collect $2,000 by Friday, June 1, the end of the campaign.

Debra Barry, Ronald McDonald House's marketing/communications director, said the money will be used for operating expenses.

"We can use some of it to pay utilities, so (Madelyn's efforts) are keeping the light burning bright for all the families," Barry said. "I cannot remember anybody this young who has been able to fund raise weeks on end to raise this amount of money."