Bloomsburg Fair Reportedly Confiscates THON Canning Money

Three Penn State students collecting money for THON brought their canning efforts to the Bloomsburg Fair on Saturday and allegedly “ran into trouble” with fair security, according to WNEP 16.

Bill Barratt, the fair’s director of security, told WNEP the fair does not allow soliciting, including canning for THON. “[We] told them about it three times, so then I had my security people bring them into the office,” Barratt said.

Barratt said students did not leave the fairgrounds when they were asked to, so he confiscated the $74.60 they collected and refused to return it.

“I am not (giving the money back). I have no paperwork saying it’s legal,” Barratt told WNEP 16. He said he plans to give the confiscated money to the fair’s own fundraiser for Geisinger’s Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, which will happen on Friday.

“I have no proof that these students were doing it for [THON],” Barratt said, adding individuals had Penn State student IDs

He also told WNEP he plans to visit Penn State and talk to university officials about the incident.