Distance night at Penn Relays colliding with Coach's birthday is great!
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
What Do Joe Dirt And Tommy Boy Have To Do With This Year's Reunion?
Some interesting changes have come to our Annual Track and Field/XC Reunion and Coach Groves Golf Tourney this year. Clark and Harry have been hard at work to bring us a little twist on this year's festivities.
Although the golf will still be at the MountainView Country Club, the hootenanny itself will take place at Toftrees Resort. That's the Friday night reception and the follow up Awards banquet. And get this... The first price reduction in room rates have been negotiated by the head duo! With Hotel room rates skyrocketing lately with all the downtown skyscrapers and retiring alums, that was no small feat. Huzzah for our intrepid leaders.
Now what about Tommy Boy and Joe Dirt, you may ask? Well, Toftrees has a great history among our group. Not only Gunny and Coach Groves decided to live there in the late 70s and early 80s, but several other members of our group have roots there. My very own Significant other, along with Gary and Steve Black lived there at one point, which is where Gary and Steve picked up the game of golf!
Riding the bus to State College Junior and Senior High, they were joined by a nerd from a nearby apartment. That nerd soon left State College and headed West for La La Land. He picked up some Comedy chops and went on the become Head Writer for Saturday Night Live and even joined the cast for a half season before realizing that writing was his forte.
Fred Wolf eventually wrote screenplays for some movies starring his friends from the cast. Yeah, Tommy Boy and Joe Dirt I and II came from the mind of a nerd from Toftrees!
Anyway, here are the details of this year's event. Please come!
23rd Annual Penn State Track and Field & XC Alumni Gathering / Harry Groves Memorial Golf Outing
August 1 – 2, 2025
This year, the opening reception and dinner will take place at The Toftrees Golf Resort, 1 Country Club Lane, State College, PA 16803. We have a block of rooms reserved there for $139 / night (held until July 1 – held under “Penn State Track and Field Alumni” - Katie is the contact (if any problems arise)) – phone number there is (814) 238-4404. Other hotels near campus are The Penn Stater, The Nittany Lion Inn, The Graduate, The Hyatt Place, The Hampton Inn, The Hilton Garden Inn and The Ramada (Ramada being the only one comparable in price)…
FRIDAY’S EVENTS (August 1st):
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Meet and Greet cash bar (hors d ‘oeuvres will be provided) – Silver Banquet Room
50-50, Putting contest, Raffles
SATURDAY EVENTS (August 2nd):
10:30 am – 11:30 pm - Bike tour around the surrounding University Park/ Toftrees area (provided you bring your own bike and there is enough interest), headed by some of our Alumni (Gary Gittings assisted by Tom Shiffer). I think Gary is looking into bike rentals in the area for those flying in (hope he is anyhow!).
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm - Campus walk to the Berkey Creamery and the Nittany Lion Shrine where a group picture will be taken headed by our alum, Vivian Riddick
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Mt Nittany hike for all interested, with a pitstop at the Voodoo Brewery to help cover the pain upon completion - also led by Alum Vivian Riddick
We will decide Friday night if any changes need to be made concerning the Campus Walk and Mt Nittany hike, based on willing participants.
4:00 pm– 6:00 pm - “Painting with Caryl” - Wine and Paint (or whine and paint for many in this group) – Room provided at the hotel (name tbd). Costs included in fee – available to the first 15 -20 confirming participation (as we pay for all of the materials up front).
1:00pm – 6:00pm - Golf outing at the Mountain View Country Club (old Elks Club) with a 1:30pm start time - captain’s choice scramble (for those of you not familiar with this type of scramble, you play the best hit of your foursome throughout). If you need clubs, there are always folks bringing extra sets, so you don’t have to worry about renting (be sure to let us know when you register, so we can plan to have them there).
6:30pm – 10:00pm Dinner reception and awards ceremony for golf outing and painters. It will take place at The Silver Banquet Room as well.
Costs / Fees:
$450 / FAMILY (all under one roof) – All / Any Events
$350 / FAMILY – Saturday only – All / Any Events $300 / FAMILY – Both Nights – No Golf or Painting
$200 / FAMILY – Friday Night Only
$250 / SENIOR PERSON (over 67) – All Events (add Spouse / Significant Other $100)
$200 / SENIOR PERSON – All Saturday Events (add Spouse / Significant Other $50)
$150 / SENIOR PERSON – All Events – No Golf or Painting (add Spouse / Significant Other $50)
$100 / SENIOR PERSON – Golf Only (add Spouse / Significant Other $50) or Friday Night Only
$300 / PERSON – All Events (add Spouse / Significant Other add $100) $200 / PERSON – All Saturday Events (add Spouse / Significant Other add $100)
$150 / PERSON – All Events – No Golf or Painting (add Spouse / Significant Other add $75)
$100 / PERSON – Golf only (add Spouse / Significant Other $75) or Friday Night Only
RECENT GRAD (past two years)
– DROP 25% off your
fees
OLYMPIAN – COMPLEMENTARY – and thanks for attending!
QUESTIONING THE METHODOLOGY BEHIND THE COSTS – DOUBLE YOUR CHARGE!
NON- REFUNDABLE FEES – IF YOU CANCEL, OR IF THERE IS A WEATHER-RELATED CANCELATION – ALL MONIES WILL THEN BE CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE PENN STATE TRACK & XC PROGRAMS.
This event is open to all friends and families of the current or past PSU T&F or XC programs. This is all about the laughs, brother/sisterhood and continued support for the current men’s and women’s track and field and/or cross-country programs. Remember, when it comes to considering golf, you will have three other hackers on your team to laugh at, and with, so don’t worry about how bad your game is!
Donations / Gifts are happily accepted if you would like to help us defer some of our costs, as we contribute all proceeds to the current programs.
Please send checks or money orders to:
Harry Smith 2040 CentralGrove
Toledo, OH 43614 or Venmo him: @Harry-Smith2262
PayPal option available again this year on the Blog or Facebook page (Dave Baskwill is coordinating) – if utilizing PayPal include another $10 to your total as mentioned above to defer the charge.
If you should have any other questions or comments, please let me know – Hope to see you this year!
Clark Haley ’85 (484) 716-8517
Saturday, January 25, 2025
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