TUX ON THE TOWN – MAY 20, 2019

Hi Penguins fans and welcome back for another episode of ‘Tux on the Town’.  

Man, Saturday, May 11^th with BUSY!   

To start off, I had to wake up earlier than normal (especially for a Saturday), to head down to Pocono Raceway.  It was the third annual Troop N Sunny Day Camp put on by Pennsylvania State Police and Troop N Camp Cadet. Sunny Day Camp is a free event that invites children and adults with special needs or disabilities, as well as Special Olympics participants, to learn about law enforcement from our very own Pennsylvania State Troopers.  The camp consists of explanations, demonstrations, and displays of canine units, helicopters, police vehicles, and more.  

I spent the day at camp “squeaking” around, high-fiving the campers, dancing with fans and doing my best to put smiles on faces.  I also participated in a few of the demonstrations and listened in on the explanations of the these awesome services that the PA State Troopers provide us with every day.  This is an event that I have participated in for the past two years and I’m honored to support our Police Department and their efforts in giving back to the community.  

I then zoomed up Route 115 back up to Wilkes-Barre and headed downtown to the Wilkes University Marts Gym to hang out with the students at the Annual SHINE Year End Event, STEM Olympiad. SHINE (Schools and Homes IN Education) is an after school program in Luzerne County held at Wilkes University, and its four main goals are to improve academic performance, improve student behavior and attendance, increase knowledge of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and facilitate family involvement in student learning.  The STEM Olympiad is an event where students partner up and complete projects in each of the four categories and then put their projects in action.

I was fortunate enough to get to the event before the award ceremony and I was able to help congratulate each of the award winners.  

I had a little time to take a break and get some fish and popcorn (my favorite meal) for lunch before heading to my  final appearance of the busy day – a SURPRISE Birthday Party visit for Spencer Williams in Shavertown.  

When I arrived at the Williams household, I heard “Spencer, pass the puck!”  When I heard that magical four letter word, I know I was in for a good time.  

I walked around back and there was a street hockey game that broke out on the driveway!  Spencer turned around and the look on his face that I was there at HIS birthday party was one that I will never forget.  I squeaked at him pointing at his stick and then pointing at myself and he knew exactly what I wanted to do.  Spencer and his friends ran into the garage, grabbed a stick for me and they stuck me in net to play goalie.  

We played for a while, and I was starting to burn up.  Spencer’s mom called us over to the patio and it was time for the best part of every birthday party – THE CAKE!!!!  I helped stick the candles in the cake and we sang Happy Birthday to him and he lit up like a Christmas Tree.  We took some photos, had some cake, and then another hockey game broke out.  This game didn’t last as long as my penguin legs were giving out and I had to cool down for good. Spencer had a fantastic birthday party and I was glad I was able to make his special day even better. 

Wednesday May 15^th was another busy morning for me.  I woke up earlier than normal to get down to Genetti’s in Wilkes-Barre.  Genetti’s was hosting the annual United Way of Wyoming Valley’s Day of Caring Breakfast.  This event is an opportunity for hundreds of volunteers to meet for a nice breakfast before they go out and do charity work the rest of the day. United Way of Wyoming Valley is a community staple in our area and I’m happy to support their charitable contributions. 

I spent the morning goofing around with people and, of course, taking photos. I showed them some of my awesome dance moves when they introduced me.  They even gave me a special shout out for helping support the breakfast and get the volunteers excited to work all day long.  

After breakfast I hopped in my van and drove up 81 North and headed toward the Poconos.  I arrived at North Pocono Middle School and there were tons of school busses in the parking lot.  “Oh boy, I have a lot of children to entertain and I couldn’t be more excited about it!” I said to myself.   

I walked down to the field and the Special Olympics Event was just about to begin!  As I got down to the field hundreds of friends were chanting, “TUX! TUX! TUX!”.  I was so thrilled to see how excited they were and ready to take part in their competitions.  

That’s a wrap for Tux on the Town episode three. Stay tuned for next week’s story about my adventures in the community.  For more information on my appearances and to get me involved in your next birthday party, community fundraiser, or special event, check out my webpage by clicking here!