How former Nittany Lion LaVar Arrington continues to rally support for PA volunteer firefighters
For former Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington, “being a warrior” and finding his passions helped fuel his football career.
On Friday, Arrington helped honor the similar passion that volunteer firefighters have in real-time situations to help keep others safe.
“That’s why I played the game the way that I did, that type of passion that you guys have,” Arrington told a room full of central Pennsylvania firefighters and local and state officials. “The things that you guys choose to do. That’s amazing to me. Choosing to put yourselves on the line, your safety on the line, your sleep, your comfort, choosing to put those things on the line to protect others.”
The former Nittany Lion spoke at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center on Friday, where Nittany MinitMart and Pennsylvania Skill hosted a conference and panel discussion focused on fundraising for volunteer firefighters in central Pennsylvania.
The event celebrated another year of Nittany MinitMart’s “Fuel the Cause” campaign — throughout April and May, the company, which has 28 locations throughout Pennsylvania, will donate a penny for every gallon of gas sold to 38 local volunteer fire companies, including Centre County’s Alpha Fire Company, and Hope and Reliance fire companies.
Pennsylvania Skill will match each of those pennies. Since the fundraiser began in 2020, more than $365,000 has been donated to local fire companies.
Friday’s event focused on the need for more volunteers and financial support for local fire companies, which have faced a decreasing population of volunteers and increasing costs for equipment.
Jason Browne, a Penn State graduate and the event’s emcee, opened by emphasizing the appreciation he believes volunteer firefighters deserve.
“There’s no way that we can give (them) all the flowers that (they) deserve. But over the next few months, hopefully we can get this community to add a few more little flowers to your bouquet,” Browne said.
Arrington, who has been an ambassador for the “Fuel the Cause” campaign in previous years, made his own remarks before later moderating a panel of local firefighters, who shared the challenges they face.
Shawn Agosti from Penfield Volunteer Fire Company and Brandon Coleman from Woolrich Fire Company, both of whom have been in volunteer fire service since they were 16 years old, answered questions about their background, the difficulties of the job and the differences communities can make for their local fire companies.
“A new fire engine, you’re probably looking (at around) $900,000 just to buy a new fire apparatus ... raising that kind of money, especially in the smaller towns, is hard. And then to recruit people, it’s hard to get people to find time,” Agosti said. “We just need to try to get people to want to be involved and help their communities.”
Pennsylvania state Reps. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, and Jamie Flick, R-South Williamsport, also spoke at Friday’s event. Benninghoff, a former Centre County coroner, shared his personal experiences working with local firefighters and spoke about the need for more volunteers.
“Pennsylvania is one of few states that is served by all volunteer fire companies, for the most part,” Benninghoff said. “It was only about 30 years ago, we had about 300,000 people in the firefighting service, we’re down about 30,000.”
With fewer volunteer firefighters each year and limited money for equipment, the “Fuel the Cause” campaign is continuing to attempt to assist volunteer fire companies throughout Centre County and central Pennsylvania.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to me to be able to have a voice to represent helping and assisting (volunteer firefighters),” Arrington said. “It’s not something that we should have to fight to do, but this is amazing to have the opportunity to continue to build awareness around what it is that (volunteer firefighters) do for us.”
