UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Military Appreciation Committee is partnering with the Penn State Alumni Association to display banners on campus that honor alumni military service members and veterans.
Twenty banners recognizing Penn State veterans and active-duty service members will adorn light poles along College Avenue at Penn State University Park during November. Each military honor banner is dedicated to one Penn Stater, showcasing their name, graduation information, military service and a portrait in their military uniform.
The banners will hang on the Penn State side of College Avenue, starting at North Burrowes Street and ending at Shortlidge Road. Penn State staff members will select where each banner is displayed along College Avenue.
Individuals and Penn State academic units can sponsor a Penn Stater on a banner by filling out a nomination form. Spots are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline to order a banner is Oct. 15. Interested participants can nominate alumni service members online. Eligibility includes Penn State University Park and Penn State World Campus alumni who are veterans or actively serving in the active or reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces. Please visit the form for full nomination information.
Sponsorships cost $400, which covers the production of the banner and the shipment to sponsors, as well as a donation to the Penn State Military Student Fund. The Penn State Military Student Fund provides recognition and financial assistance for outstanding active-duty military service members, veterans and their dependents. All funds raised directly benefit military-connected students at all Penn State campuses, including World Campus
The Penn State Alumni Association has donated the costs of hanging and lowering the banners. At the conclusion of Centre County Military Appreciation Month on Nov. 30, banners will be shipped to sponsors. Sponsors will not be charged until nominations and photos are received and confirmed. A Penn State Office of Veterans Affairs and Services staff member will reach out to coordinate payment.
This is the first year that alumni service members will be highlighted through banners on campus. The effort joins banners displayed throughout downtown in a four-year-long partnership with the Downtown State College Improvement District, which displays banners along Beaver Avenue. While banner sales for downtown have concluded, community members can view all banners during the month of November.
Eugene McFeely, senior director of veterans affairs and services at Penn State and chair of the Military Appreciation Committee, encouraged sponsors to consider honoring their Penn Stater, while supporting the next generation of Penn State military-connected students.
“This is a great way to honor Penn State alumni who serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and to build awareness among faculty, staff, students and alumni of these military-connected alumni and their stories,” McFeely said.
Military Appreciation at Penn State
Penn State has a longstanding and proud tradition of serving the men and women of our military through education benefits, resources, support, and more. This year, Penn State will recognize all service members and highlight the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice of those awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor during a series of campus events, including the Military Appreciation football game on Nov. 8.
Through Penn State’s Seats for Servicemembers program, supporters can provide an opportunity for a service member to attend the Nov. 8 game by purchasing a ticket to be donated. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online or by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Penn State students, faculty, staff, and alumni with military connections can also submit a profile of service for the opportunity to be featured on the University’s Military Appreciation website and other materials. Visit militaryappreciation.psu.edu to learn more.