A Trip To State College

We visited Penn State University this weekend for an admitted students program that convinced my daughter more than ever that she will follow in her brother’s footsteps and be a Nittany Lion this fall. The weekend trip came with a bonus as we got to experience THON first-hand. We knew of the annual fundraiser because my son was involved through his fraternity for the four years he was at Penn State but this was out first time actually seeing what it’s all about. The largest student-run philanthropy in the world is a 46-hour marathon in which students must stand or dance at the Bryce Jordan Center. While there were 708 student dancers more than 15,000 volunteers participate in some fashion to raise money for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State’s Children’s Hospital and late Sunday they announced a record total of more than $7.8 million from this year’s event to fight childhood cancer. Among the exhausted dancers were at least two I know of from Ocean County…seniors Dan Leone of Toms River and Ashley Matera of Point Pleasant. Both had plenty of support from their families this weekend
who are probably just as tired this morning because spectators have to stand as well. Since it started THON has raised almost $70 million.

When I was a senior at Central Regional High School in 1973 I was asked by the late great baseball coach Al Kunzman to help out with the team as I did not play baseball but had many friends on the squad, including Rich Gabriel. It was Gabriel who would pitch the Golden Eagles to a win over Toms River North in the championship game of the Ocean County Tournament that spring. I thought about that when I found out Friday that he had passed away after a long battle with cancer at the age of 54. Dick was a guy who never sought attention but had the respect of many. He was an outstanding softball player for years, became a very good golfer and loved to fish when he wasn’t working as a self-employed electrical contractor. A lifelong resident of Island Heights, he leaves behind his wife Chris, son Richard and daughter Danielle. He also leaves a void in the lives of many who were lucky enough to cross paths with one of the truly good guys. Donations in his memory can be made to Ocean of Love or the Richard Gabriel Scholarship Fund at Central Regional High School.