Name: Kevin Janiec
Hometown: West Chester, Pa.
Major: Public Relations with a business minor
Year: Junior
He’s the brain behind the marketing campaign of this year’s Beaver Stadium Run, and with a few days still remaining before the event, Happy Valley Communications account executive Kevin Janiec is more than enthusiastic about the turn out for the event.
Far exceeding this year’s monetary goals, the pleasure Kevin experienced along the journey was far more satisfying. He served as recruitment and social chairman for his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, but he says the “non-profit events have always been the most rewarding.”
Her Campus got to chat with Kevin and got all of the details about the Beaver Stadium Run set to happen Sunday, April 22.
HC: What is Beaver Stadium Run?
Kevin:The Beaver Stadium Run is a 5k run set on Blue and White Weekend that benefits Special Olympics Pennsylvania. Runners actually finish through the tunnel onto the field in Beaver Stadium. This year, the event is in honor of Joe Paterno to thank the Paterno family for their years of service to Special Olympics. Special guests will include the Paterno family, Franco Harris, Steve Jones and Special Olympics athletes from all over Pennsylvania.
HC: What made you want to get involved with the event?
Kevin: I am an account executive at the student run public relations firm, Happy Valley Communications. I was assigned a team to manage the client, Special Olympics Pennsylvania, and they asked me to focus on the promotional campaign for the Beaver Stadium Run. This was a dream come true because not only did it give me great experience in running the campaign for a major event, but it also gave me an opportunity to become involved with Special Olympics, which is a cause I have always been passionate about.
HC: What is your position? What exactly do you do?
Kevin: My team is responsible for developing the promotional campaign for the Beaver Stadium Run to spark fundraising and increase the amount of registered runners/walkers. This includes getting media coverage, organizing interviews and feature stories with the press, setting up events to raise awareness and funds for the run, and going around to different groups to inform them about the event and how they can help.
HC: Were you involved last year?
Kevin: This is my first year with the Beaver Stadium Run, and I plan to continue my promotional role with the event next year. Last year, I worked with another great event, The Out of the Darkness Walk, which raises awareness and benefits mental health initiatives for suicide prevention.
HC: What’s the best part of being on the business side of Beaver Stadium Run?
Kevin: I love seeing everything that goes into a major event like the Beaver Stadium Run and THON—seeing people like Sue Paterno, who has been through so much and is so determined to give back. I love witnessing and feeling the passion and hard work that goes into making this event perfect. I love continuously checking up on the progress of the fundraising total and the number of runners. The media coverage is also very rewarding. At the end of the day, realizing that it was your teamwork, your creativity, your development and your passion that gave a mentally handicapped athlete a chance to find joy through competition at the Special Olympics is truly amazing.
HC: What’s the monetary goal for this year’s event? What was last year’s total?
Kevin:Last year, the Beaver Stadium Run raised $83,500 for Special Olympics Pennsylvania and had 1,600 runners/walkers. This year, with two weeks and a large amount of fundraising and registration still to go, we are at over $160,000 and 1,600 runners/walkers. The original goal was to double the amount of money, but it looks like we need to set higher goals as our success has blown away our wildest expectations.
HC: When is the event and is there time for students to still get involved?
Kevin:The run will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 22. Registration/check-in will open at 7 a.m. Students can still get involved by registering to do the 5k run or 1 mile fun walk at www.stadiumrun.org. If they cannot run, they can donate on the website to support a participant in the event. Online registration closes Tuesday, April 17, but you can still register at check-in on the day of the event.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.