Under the baobab: Happy Valley celebrates Special Olympics, Pride, more
'Let me win. But, if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt.' -Athlete's Oath, Special Olympics
A society does not become great by bullying people but by loving and nurturing the most vulnerable that live within its community. We nourish and embrace our children. We do not drop bombs on them. All children are our collective children. What we plant in them grows in our shared earth.
A couple of thousand people, mostly young, came together with a thousand volunteers to joyously sing, dance and play 'beach ball bounce' at the opening ceremony of the 55th Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) at Medlar Field. Athletes came from nine regions in the commonwealth: Northwest, Three Rivers, The Wilds, Ridge and Valley, Susquehanna, Capital Area, Northeast, Greater Lehigh Valley Pocono and Greater Philadelphia. Their events take place through Saturday.
Steve Jones, Nicholas Erhardt and Rachell acted as emcees for the 35th opening at Penn State. The PSU ROTC presented the colors while the Brass Rats played the national anthem. Father Matthew, pastor of the Penn State Catholic Community, gave the benediction. He emphasized that Special Olympics reminds us all of the necessity of teamwork, respect for opponents and that 'each one of us is a special creation.'
SOPA President and CEO Matthew Aaron thanked the sponsors and volunteers including Sue Paterno, (who among other things sponsors the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run as a fundraiser) and PSU Women's Volleyball Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. The 2025 NCAA national championship coach touched the crowd by announcing that she was cancer-free.
Jackie Foderaro on behalf of the presenting sponsor, Sheetz, thanked the other sponsors: Penn State University, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Knights of Columbus, Energy Transfer, Automated Logic, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Dicks Sporting Goods, PAM Health, Penske, the Misitano family, Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Law Enforcement Torch Run. The final torch was lit by Port Authority Police Department Chief Matt Porter and Nancy Graham, having been relayed 150 miles from PNC Park.
It's also Pride Month. On Saturday, the 2025 State College Pride festivities, hosted by Centre LGBT+ in partnership with the State College Borough, include the 10 a.m. parade followed by a festival in Sidney Friedman Park.
Next week, Center Stage will present the premiere production of the musical 'True Crime Frankenstein,' June 12-15, in the Penn State Downtown Theatre.
And the resistance continues. Lighting Candles for Peace meets at the Allen Street Gates each Monday from 5-5:30 p.m. On 'Thompson Tuesdays' a group of neighbors rally in front of Congressman Glenn 'GT' Thompson's Bellefonte office at 3555 Benner Pike from noon-1 p.m. There will be a 'No Kings' rally on June 14 from noon-3 p.m. in Canal Basin Park, 101 Canal St., Hollidaysburg.
Coming up, Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. On June 13-14 State College will mark the sixth year that Juneteenth will be celebrated, with the theme 'Juneteenth: Our Freedom, Our Fight, Our Future.' The weekend begins with Juneteenth Arts and Crafts Exhibition at Woskob Family Gallery Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a Block Party at Rev MLK Plaza and Fraser Street on Saturday, June 14, from noon to 6 p.m., sponsored by the State College NAACP, the Borough of State College, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, and The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
Finally, a giant tree has fallen. Former Congressman Charles Rangel, another of our mentors , has joined the ancestors. I was a 30-year-old intern in his Washington office in 1975. He was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. At the time there were 13 members of the CBC. Today there are 62. He defeated another giant, Adam Clayton Powell, to win his Harlem NYC seat. Thank you for making our world better.
Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party's nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.
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