‘A day like today is awesome’: Penn State football embraces Four Diamonds families at Lasch
Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth took a deep breath and smiled back at the 6-year-old boy near his side.
The boy, Evan Brysiak, didn’t know Freiermuth was a future NFL player or an All-American. And he didn’t care. He just knew the tall guy aside of him was fun. “87!” he shouted while pointing at Freiermuth, who was in his blue jersey, “I’m racing you!”
“One, two,” Evan counted, staring down Freiermuth, before giggling wildly and taking off before he yelled, “Go!” Evan won the race in convincing fashion, raising his arms while his 12-year-old sister, a leukemia survivor, looked on and cheered.
Scenes like that played out all over the Lasch Football Building on Saturday afternoon, when 35 Four Diamonds families — those impacted by pediatric cancer — joined what appeared to be the entirety of the football roster for a few hours of fun, tours, activities and ice cream. The annual Lasch event is held in conjunction with Penn State’s Thon, a 46-hour dance marathon at the Bryce Jordan Center that raises money to fight pediatric cancer, and it continues to act as a highlight of the weekend for many families.
“It’s awesome,” Freiermuth said. “Just making kids happy, that’s what this whole weekend’s about — taking their minds off the struggles they’re going through and being a positive light into their lives. And it was nice to be that; it was an awesome experience.”
Throughout the football building, Hawaiian- and beach-themed regalia was hung around every corner. Palm trees were carefully crafted with cardboard and green construction paper. Fish nets were loosely arranged over some Penn State lettering, and even the 200-pound Nittany Lion statue made of tires — from the Cotton Bowl — had a few blue leis draped over its neck.
Quarterback Sean Clifford played a few intense games of Jenga, smiling and holding up the leaning tower whenever it was about to fall after a kid’s not-so-great move. Linebacker Micah Parsons played Madden against a family on one of eight big-screen TVs in the players’ lounge, shaking his head as the Carolina Panthers held a slim 10-8 lead over the Cleveland Browns. And Tyler Rudolph, dressed in oversized pink sunglasses and a straw hat, taught one child how to dance while competing in an impromptu limbo contest.
“To spend some time with kids who aren’t in the best of positions right now,” said defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, pausing after explaining he lost his grandmother to cancer two years ago, “it means the world to us.”
The annual event at Lasch started about 15 years ago, and this year’s edition was the largest in recent history. In 2017, 20 Four Diamonds families took part compared to the nearly three dozen this season. Plenty of football players usually volunteer, too, but a spokesperson said this year that she believed every current player was in attendance, about 85 in all.
Some families and players spent time at a 96-crayon coloring table. Others played cornhole, posed for pictures at different photo stations, kicked beach balls in the weight room or ate ice cream near the nutrition area. Four kids trailed wideout Daniel George like ducklings with chocolate-covered faces; one smiling kid near him tripped, got up, fixed his hair and just kept on smiling.
On Monday, for many of the families, it’s back to doctor appointments or worrying about cancer returning. But, on Saturday, players said they hoped they could fill the families’ heads and hearts with something else.
“Just the smiles on the kids’ faces and knowing they had a good day,” offensive tackle Will Fries said, “that’s what makes it all worth it. ...
“A day like today is awesome.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 4:48 PM.
