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Panther pride: Community pledges $1M for upgrades to Penn Cambria’s athletic facilities

By Matt Churella 7 min read

CRESSON -- When Penn Cambria officials launched a campaign last year to fundraise athletic facility improvements, they never imagined the initiative would be where it is today, having received about $1 million in pledged donations from the community and still going strong, Superintendent Jaime Hartline said.

Currently in the midst of a $49 million renovation project to create a centralized campus in Cresson, Hartline said the campaign started as a way to address needed repairs to Panther Stadium, which were not included in the project's original scope due to budget limitations.

Because the stadium is outdated, with the last significant investment the district made into its athletic facilities dating back to the late 1990s, there have been several missed opportunities for students, Hartline said.

For example, because the field surface is grass and not artificial turf, Penn Cambria is unable to host home track meets or PIAA playoff football and soccer games, Hartline said, noting the district has successful sports programs that have made it to the playoffs, but it has been unable to host, due to the requirement to have artificial turf.

"We have a responsibility to give our students the opportunities that they deserve," Hartline said, adding the district has been forced to deny opportunities for its Mainline Panther youth football and soccer programs because the field's grass surface was worn out.

As part of a phased approach for the proposed project, top priorities include a new artificial turf playing surface, a new track around the field, replacing a four-foot fence surrounding the track, installing a new asphalt walkway outside the fence and new bleachers on the visitors side.

The next phase includes building new concessions, restrooms, ticket booths and an entrance gateway and concrete plaza. A final phase includes building a new fieldhouse, locker rooms, a training room and support spaces.

First noticeable upgrade

To this point, the district has done community outreach, along with some temporary repairs to the playing surface to avoid any noncontact injuries, Hartline said, noting some parking improvements are underway as part of the renovation project and stormwater management is in place for a future stadium project, whether it takes place soon or years down the road.

"When we first started this, we didn't know how likely it was to be able to do this project. But with the support that we have seen from this community, the needle is moving toward it is more likely that we will do it than not," Hartline said.

On Monday, Bob Biter Electrical Enterprises employees replaced the stadium's aging halogen lighting infrastructure with a brand new LED Musco lighting system the company donated and installed free of charge, marking the first significant and noticeable upgrade to the district's stadium since the campaign started, Hartline said, noting the total value of the materials and installation was about $200,000.

In addition to being more energy efficient and under warranty, Hartline said the new lights are more directional, meaning they won't shine out toward the surrounding houses near the stadium.

The warranty is a big deal to the district because Penn Cambria doesn't have the necessary equipment to take care of the lighting system, Hartline said, adding Musco Lighting will monitor the lights remotely from their location.

"They have the equipment that will notify them if there is an error in our system here at Penn

Cambria, and they will come and take care of it then," Hartline said. "We don't have to do anything with it."

According to Hartline, the district has some money set aside from its savings that has been earmarked and budgeted for the proposed stadium project to help offset the balance of what it can't raise.

But the district can't afford the project on its own, and whether or not a potential project takes place in the future is heavily dependent on the district's fundraising effort, Hartline said.

Hartline said the district has engaged with AstroTurf Corp. to develop a project design and construction documents.

Once the district has that information, officials will be in a better position to understand the project's final cost, he said.

Donors pledge

Since April 2025, when Hartline made the initial plea for support at a school board meeting, Penn Cambria has been pledged $1,045,000 in funding for the proposed project, according to a presentation posted on the district's website, www.pcam.org.

In January, an anonymous donor pledged $500,000 to the cause.

In addition to the anonymous donor and the $200,000 value of new stadium lights, Paul and Maureen Calandra, Rosebud Mining and Bob Biter Electric have pledged $100,000 each; Leeward Energy, Randy and Kim Beers, S.P. McCarl & Co. as well as Knopp and Klatt Excavation & Concrete have committed $10,000 each; and T-Mobile gave $5,000.

Bob Biter Electrical Enterprises Vice President John Bianconi was on site Monday as his employees installed the LED lighting system. In talking with Hartline about the field's condition, Bianconi said he felt compelled to get involved with the campaign.

"I'm very proud of where we live, so I try to keep things rolling as best as I can," Bianconi said.

Brett Klatt, of Knopp and Klatt Excavation & Concrete, said he has a 14-year-old son in the district currently.

As his son was growing up, Klatt said he helped coach the youth basketball team and mentored a lot of the district's current student athletes.

"We're definitely proud that we're able to help contribute to the kids and give back," Klatt said, adding his company has done work for the district and a lot of people who live within the area.

"To be able to give back to some of our areas is important to us," he said.

Randy Beers said his wife, Kim, is a Penn

Cambria graduate, and they also have a son who's a multi-sport athlete in the district.

Randy, who was born and raised in Altoona, said he was fortunate to get a full athletic scholarship and go onto college as part of two national championship teams.

Although he hung up his helmet and shoulder pads 30 years ago, Beers said athletics taught him a lot about hard work and not giving up when times are tough -- lessons he hopes the district's athletes will have an opportunity to learn with up-to-date facilities they can take pride in.

"At the end of the day, it's for the kids," Beers said of his family's donation.

Testament to community

When families relocate to the region, Hartline said they shop for schools to put their children in. They want to put their children in a district that provides a top-notch education with modern facilities, he said.

"Penn Cambria provides great education. Our faculty does a fantastic job. So what we are doing now is we are investing in our facilities, so that we can remain competitive with our neighbors," Hartline said.

Aside from hosting track meets and playoff games, Hartline said the district is also in need of space for its physical education classes.

If all goes well with the district's reconstruction project, Hartline said the district will have all of its students -- about 1,450 in total -- on the campus by the 2027-28 school year.

There will be several physical education classes going on at the same time, and if the district's athletic field were to be turfed, teachers could use the space deep into the fall and early into the spring when they typically could not use a natural grass surface, he said.

"It really is a key component to making our whole project and consolidation successful," Hartline said of the athletic upgrades, noting Penn Cambria wouldn't be in the position to consider the project without the support of "generous businesses" and "good people" who've supported the district's vision.

"Many times these fundraising campaigns take a long time; this one has not. It's moved along pretty rapidly," Hartline said. "That's a testament to our community."

Hartline said the district is going to keep advocating for its students and community members and see where the fundraising campaign takes them.

For more information about the project or to donate, contact Hartline or Kate Little, the district's athletic director, at 814-886-8121.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

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