logo
Penn State Altoona raises funds for THON with silent auction

Penn State Altoona raises funds for THON with silent auction

Yahoo14-02-2025

ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — Penn State's 46-hour dance marathon is just days away, and one branch campus is making a final push to help raise funds for Four Diamonds.
Penn State Altoona held a silent auction inside of the Slef Student Center to benefit THON. Fifty baskets from local businesses and the campus offices were for bidding.
Students, faculty and other community members visited the auction to help donate, sparking joy from the committee about the donations.
THON 2025: Penn State getting ready for dance marathon fundraiser
'It fills me with hope,' Noah Meckes, the co-executive director of the Altoona Benefitting THON committee said. 'Whenever I go out to places and see people that are willing to be so generous, with their time and their money and their things, to help us put something like this together. And, of course, all of the money goes back to the Four Diamonds Foundation, which helps kids with, pediatric cancer and their families.'
The Four Diamonds Foundation is dedicated to helping kids with cancer get proper care and treatment, support and innovative research. All proceeds to the foundation will cover the expenses not paid for by the insurance of eligible patients.
Last year, the campus set a new fundraising record of around $70,000. Before the silent auction, the committee was at the $40,000 mark.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Penn State, UCLA Take Private Equity Funding Deal With Elevate
Penn State, UCLA Take Private Equity Funding Deal With Elevate

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Penn State, UCLA Take Private Equity Funding Deal With Elevate

Penn State and UCLA have become the inaugural partners in Elevate's newly unveiled $500 million College Investment Initiative, according to three individuals familiar with the situation. Accordingly, the two Big Ten institutions have emerged as the first known universities to formally embrace private capital as a means of funding their athletic departments—signaling a significant milestone in the growing convergence of institutional capital and intercollegiate athletics. More from Elevate Opens $500M College Sports Fund With Texas PSF, Velocity College Sports Commission Gives off Nonprofit Web Impression Colleges Prep for Athlete Title IX Lawsuits of the Revenue-Share Era Elevate formally introduced its college sports fund on Monday, revealing that two universities had already committed, but withholding their names. The fund is backed by private equity firm Velocity Capital Management and the Texas Permanent School Fund, a special-purpose government corporation that supports the state's schools. In a telephone interview, Elevate chief business officer Jonathan Marks declined to confirm the schools, but said they would be announced in the coming weeks along with potentially others. Representatives from UCLA and Penn State did not immediately respond to requests for comment. While neither Big Ten institution had previously been considered a frontrunner in the movement toward private financing, their participation is hardly surprising. Both rank among the top 25 in athletic spending among FBS public universities, per Sportico's college sports finance database, yet neither enjoys the same financial stability as some of their high-spending peers. For UCLA, the embrace of private investment comes amid prolonged fiscal distress. Now competing in the Big Ten following the dissolution of the Pac-12, the Bruins' athletic department has grappled with persistent deficits. Recent NCAA filings show a nearly $52 million shortfall in fiscal year 2024—even after receiving a $30 million campus subsidy. Over the past six years, the program has accrued close to $220 million in debt tied to athletics, highlighting the urgent need for alternative revenue streams. At Penn State, a similar financial recalibration is underway. In February, the university introduced a slate of new fees—including additional charges on season and single-game tickets, parking and in-stadium purchases—to establish its 'Legacy Fund,' designed to support mounting athletic department expenses from scholarships to facility improvements. Following Judge Claudia Wilken's final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement last week, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft wrote an open letter announcing the Nittany Lions' intention to spend the maximum of athlete revenue-sharing allowable (roughly $20.5 million in 2025-26). 'While change can be difficult, it also can provide new opportunities, and I assure you we will embrace every opportunity this new model creates,' Kraft wrote. Over the past three years, universities, athletic conferences and private investors have engaged in ongoing discussions as the college sports economy shifts toward a model that increasingly acknowledges and compensates its athlete workforce. In this evolving landscape, it is fair to assume that nearly every Power Four institution—along with a growing number of non-P4 schools—has at least explored the potential implications of incorporating private capital into their athletic operations. Florida State University emerged as a notable early mover, becoming the first known institution to actively pursue private investment in its athletic department. In 2022, FSU initiated discussions with private equity firms Sixth Street and Arctos Partners under an in initiative internally dubbed 'Project Osceola.' While the talks demonstrated significant initial interest and ambition, the effort has yet to yield a formal agreement. Nevertheless, the initiative served as a clear signal to the broader market: Intercollegiate athletics may be prepared to venture into heretofore uncharted territory to maintain competitiveness in an increasingly professionalized landscape. With the pace of that transformation accelerating, many anticipated a wave of deals—whether through private equity, private credit or alternative financing structures—would soon materialize. Yet to date, such transactions have remained largely theoretical. In May 2024, RedBird Capital and Weatherford Capital—co-founded by FSU trustee and former Seminoles quarterback Drew Weatherford—unveiled Collegiate Athletic Solutions (CAS), an investment platform designed to deploy between $50 million and $200 million into select major athletic departments. Despite the ambition and capital behind the fund, CAS has yet to finalize or publicly announce any completed partnerships. Some universities that initially appeared to be strong candidates for private equity investment—such as the University of North Carolina—were ultimately put off by Wall Street's expectation for immediate returns. 'We have been approached numerous times about different private equity options, but nothing was appealing enough for us to pursue any further,' UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham told Sportico last August. 'The cost of capital for us is fairly low. They've got some good ideas and thoughts about some other uses of the capital, but we're not there yet.' The Big 12—arguably the most enthusiastic supporter of private capital among the conferences—recently came to a similar conclusion after a year-long evaluation process that reportedly included discussions with global investment firm CVC Capital. Meanwhile, the Big Ten, which was previously lukewarm on the idea, retained investment bank Evercore earlier this year to begin soliciting preliminary PE pitches. Best of Tennis Prize Money Tracker: Which Player Has Earned the Most in 2025? World's 50 Most Valuable Soccer Clubs 2025 Rankings NBA Playoff Games Really Are Different, Data Shows

Pennsylvania parks officials learn tips for building; connecting trails
Pennsylvania parks officials learn tips for building; connecting trails

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Yahoo

Pennsylvania parks officials learn tips for building; connecting trails

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Parks and recreation officials attended a learning seminar to help develop more trails in the state. The Trail Symposium, held at Brass 16823 on Axemann Road, drew over 75 people to a daylong session focused on creating efficient trails for running, biking, and equestrian use. Topics of discussion ranged from planning to fundraising, design and marketing. 'It's a very broad interest, but that's how the National Parks Service trails get on the ground,' Mary Monroe Brown, senior vice president of advocacy and engagement for the International Mountain Bicycling Association, said. 'It's a collaboration of all these groups and people understanding this vision of trails.' State grant awarded to Cambria County Historical Society to preserve century-old Buck House Attendees got a chance to network and share ideas in between sessions about their management of trails. These ideas were a way to take each piece of advice back to the home trails and create ways to connect each trail for a larger network of paths. With each connection, a new way to attract visitors and boost local commerce arises. 'The people that go hiking, camping and mountain biking, they spend a lot of money on their affinity and their recreation,' Phillip Millburn, the vice president of IMBA, said. 'The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has this data to back this case up. The economic potential is significant.' Pennsylvania has 650 trails that span over 14,000 miles. The IMBA sees the potential in developing these connecting trails to create a statewide network. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Future of Lakemont Park could be off the tracks as rides sit dormant
Future of Lakemont Park could be off the tracks as rides sit dormant

Yahoo

time4 days ago

  • Yahoo

Future of Lakemont Park could be off the tracks as rides sit dormant

LAKEMONT, Pa. (WTAJ) — Leap the Dips is the world's oldest roller coaster and joined the list of National Historic Landmarks in 1996. But with Lakemont Park not operating its beloved rides for the second summer in a row, it's beginning to show up on a different type of list — one of abandoned places in Pennsylvania. The old trolley park sits dormant and deteriorating, sparking online discussions that the amusement park may be abandoned. But those claims are unsubstantiated as the recreational side of the park remains open including the mini golf course, basketball courts and batting cages. 'An abandoned amusement park would be they block the gates and keep everybody out,' said Dave Hahner, a historian with American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE). 'That is possibly one of the shining moments that we can possibly look at, the fact that the park is not closed yet.' ACE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the enjoyment, knowledge and preservation of roller coasters. Hahner said the community worries it will lose Leap the Dips, a crucial piece of amusement park history. 'It's the oldest opera— it was the oldest operating roller coaster and it was one of the last side friction roller coasters operating in North America,' Hahner said. Cicadas emerge in Centre County for first time in 17 years Skyliner, Lakemont Park's other wooden coaster, is one of the last coasters designed by John Allen, a premiere coaster designer in the mid– to late–1900s. It proudly towers over the outfield of PNG Field. ACE preservation director Josh Brown said it creates a unique experience for both the amusement park and baseball fans. 'We hear a lot of people like it's it was the most fun riding Skyliner when they could heckle somebody from the other team in the outfield, you know while riding it,' Brown said. While people on social media have suggested the park sell off the old coasters if they won't operate them, Hahner said that's not an option for Leap the Dips due to the coaster's age. As safety standards have changed over the 123 years since Leap the Dips was built, the coaster has been grandfathered in, but if moved, would have to be modernized and would lose what makes it special, according to Hahner. It would be required to have automatic breaks and an electronic monitoring system. Hahner said even without these features, the ride is still very safe, meets state standards for safety, and since it only uses one car at a time, there's no chance for collisions. Lakemont Park claims the old wooden coasters are too costly to repair and maintain, but it doesn't explain why the entire amusement park is shut down. 'They do have other rides that are currently dormant,' Hahner said. 'They have the C.P. Huntingdon train ride, the antique car ride and Go–Karts, all of which I'm just kind of puzzled as to why, especially the Go–Karts, as to why they're not operational like any good, family entertainment center.' The park is ultimately owned by Blair County and it's not the first time they've faced such hardships. According to the Blair County Historical Society, the county commissioners accepted ownership of the park from the Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway in 1936 after a flood left most of the park damaged and finances were depleted. At the time, there was concern the park would be abandoned, but it reopened the following year after being restored. Today, Lakemont Park is leased to a group known as the Lakemont Partnership who is responsible for operations of the entire property. Blair County Commissioner Dave Kessling said in an email he's worried the Lakemont Partnership is simply leaving the park to fall apart. 'They have chosen not to open the park rides for the past two years and in my opinion, they will continue to allow the park to deteriorate as they state it is too costly to maintain. We cannot force them to open the park with the rides.' Dave Kessling, Blair County Commissioner Brown said there are funds available to help, through a preservation grant. Lakemont Park has received donations from ACE on 15 separate occasions, totaling around $70,000. But no one from the county or Lakemont Park has applied for funding since 2023. According to sources, the last time any work was done to repair or upkeep the wooden roller coasters was four years ago and no future work has been scheduled. Hahner said that because Leap the Dips is a national historic landmark, Lakemont Park is obligated to maintain the ride to where it's not going to fall over. While it does not have to be in operating order, there is concern that the lack of continued maintenance will cause the coaster to fall into complete disrepair. 'For every year that you wait, more damage is done by weathering,' Hahner said. WTAJ has reached out to the park to ask what they plan to do to reopen the rides. They have not responded to emails and sent calls straight to voicemail. ACE said they'd like to see Lakemont Park be taken over by an operator who will revitalize and get the coasters back on track but no plans are in the works so far. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store