We Are... Family
Saturday, July 25 at the Penn Stater Hotel
Event Recap
On July 25, 2026, supporters, alumni, and community leaders gathered at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center for Rise Above’s Third Annual Fundraiser: “We Are... Family.” The evening brought the Blue & White community together to celebrate, honor, and invest directly in Penn State Adaptive Athletics—empowering collegiate athletes who train, compete, and represent Penn State with pride.
Event Highlights
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Keynote Address: Interim head football coach Terry Smith kicked off We Are...Family by delivering a powerful keynote sharing his dedication and steadfast loyalty to Penn State, joined by co-hosts Sue Paterno and Dana Harris.
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Coaches Mix & Mingle: Guests connected one-on-one with prominent Penn State leaders and coaches, including Matt Campbell, Erica Dambach & Katie Schumacher-Cawley.
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Penn State Lettermen Panel: Longtime voice of the Nittany Lions Steve Jones moderated an engaging panel discussion featuring former Penn State Football Lettermen.
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Special Musical Performance: Grammy Award-winning artist and Penn State football letterman Mike Reid took the stage for a memorable live performance.
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Honoring the Student-Athletes: The spotlight of the night belonged to our Penn State Adaptive Athletes, officially introducing and celebrating the competitors—including members of Penn State's historic first wheelchair basketball team.
Your Impact
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8 Student Athletes: 95¢ of every dollar raised directly funds athletic scholarships, specialized adaptive sports equipment, high-performance training, and travel expenses.
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Rapid Growth: In just two years, the program has expanded from zero athletes and no coaching staff to a thriving roster of competitive student-athletes making school history.
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Local Engagement: Rise Above has expanded beyond Penn State and supports local wheelchair basketball teams
Our Supporters
Grand Experiment Level
Nittany Level
Blue Level
White Level
