UNIVERSITY PARK — Rise Above: Friends of Penn State Adaptive Athletics will host its third annual fundraiser on Saturday, July 25 at 5:30 p.m. at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center.

The event, headlined by a performance from Grammy winner and Penn State alum Mike Reid, brings together Penn Staters, alumni, donors, coaches, former athletes, and community supporters for an evening benefiting Penn State Adaptive Athletics.

The event, themed “We Are Family,” will feature a keynote by Terry Smith, co-hosts Sue Paterno and Dana Harris, a Penn State letterman panel moderated by Steve Jones, an exclusive coaches mix and mingle with head football coach Matt Campbell and men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades as well as Director of Adaptive Athletics Brenna O’Connor.

Tickets, sponsorships, and silent auction donation opportunities are available at pennstateriseabove.org/fundraiser.

Proceeds from the event will support scholarships, adaptive equipment, training, competition travel, and other resources that help Penn State adaptive student-athletes train, compete, and thrive. Rise Above states that 95 cents of every dollar goes directly to scholarships, equipment, training, and travel.

Founded in 2022, Rise Above: Friends of Penn State Adaptive Athletics is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating independently of Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. Its mission is to support and elevate Penn State’s adaptive athletics program into the nation’s premier collegiate destination for elite competition.

In just two years, Rise Above has helped support major program growth, including roster expansion, dedicated coaching leadership, the launch of Penn State’s first wheelchair basketball team, and broader competition opportunities for adaptive athletes. The organization’s 2025 benefit event sold out, drew more than 275 attendees, and raised $75,000 to support the program’s future.

Rise Above has set a $100,000 fundraising target and is seeking individual attendees, corporate sponsors, table sponsors, and silent auction donors. Sponsorship levels include White Sponsor at $1,000, Blue Sponsor at $2,500, Nittany Sponsor at $5,000, and Grand Experiment Sponsor at $10,000.

Pitt additions

PITTSBURGH — Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi announced on Monday the addition of 10 student-athletes to the roster for the upcoming season.

The group includes four offensive lineman, two receivers, a quarterback, running back, kicker and long snapper.

They are: Mike Van Der Oord (OL), Nick Howard (OL), Carter Genchi (K), Damon Ferguson (RB), Bryan Hamilton (WR), Davin Friedman (QB), Alex Rudolph (LS), Sean Franklin (OL), Jack Lesniewicz (WR) and Dylan Pitzer (OL).