More than $400,000 was raised for Special Olympics Pennsylvania athletes from the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run in 2023. Sue Paterno says that their goal is to raise even more this year and that they are on track to do so.
Thousands of runners and walkers will make their way to Beaver Stadium on Sunday, April 14th, the day after Penn State’s Blue-White spring football game, for the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run. Organizers say they are on track to raise nearly $500,000 for Special Olympics Pennsylvania Athletes, which would be their most ever.
“You’re up on that stage and you look out, and you see all these people ready to run, from there down to the baseball field and I choke because I think all these people are helping all our people and what more can we ask for," said Sue Paterno.
The Special Olympics Pennsylvania Summer Games will occur June 6-8 at Penn State.
Paterno says they started this to make sure that the athletes competing and their families don’t have to worry about costs.
"They are expensive but necessary and our athletes have the time of their lives, so we tried a couple of ideas and came up with the run because people always said what’s it like to be on the field to go through the tunnel," said Paterno.
Paul Funari is the event director for the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Summer Games and says they bring the athletes on an all-expenses paid trip to Penn State for that weekend.
"It would not, this really pays for that event or the majority of that event and hopefully this year all of that event," responded Funari when asked if that would be possible without fundraisers like the Beaver Stadium run.
Organizers say runners and walkers finish by coming through the tunnel and running onto the field.
NFL Hall of Famer and former Nittany Lion Franco Harris would wait for participants on the field, high-fiving them as they finished. After Harris passed away in 2022, his wife Dana took over his role and says she will continue the tradition.
She got emotional when talking about her experiences at the event and said it meant a lot to her husband and was something they looked forward to every year.
“It truly is a learning experience and I think people come away with a better understanding and how just a fun participation thing like this can do so much for so many, and so, I hate to keep saying that’s what Penn State does but we’re good at it," said Harris.
Paterno and Harris say there is still time to register for the run or walk, and they accept sign-ups on the weekend and day of the event.
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