BELLEFONTE — For years, Bellefonte’s largest community events have relied on first responders working quietly in the background — directing traffic, handling emergencies and keeping crowds safe. This spring, the spotlight shifts to shine on them.
On May 15 and 16, Bellefonte will host the first-ever First Responders Weekend, a two-day event built around friendly competition, family-friendly fun and a shared goal of returning real financial support to the departments that serve the community every day.
The idea was sparked by longtime Bellefonte event organizer Pat McCool, who has spent nearly two decades running the Bellefonte Cruise and working closely with first responders during major events.
“We rely a lot on our first responders assistance during these events that we do here in town,” McCool said. “And of course, we always give them donations and that there.”
McCool said the question became how to move beyond symbolic donations and create something that could make a meaningful difference.
“The thought was, how can we do something to give these guys some significant money?” he said.
What followed came together faster than expected. McCool said a committee was formed in a matter of days, not months.
“Normally, to form a committee, it usually takes a good year to do it,” he said. “I made a couple of phone calls with some of the people that I knew, trusted, that kind of thing. And we had 20 people on our committee in a week.”
The First Responders Weekend will bring teams of four from first responder departments together for a series of non-emergency-based competitions designed for broad participation rather than specialized training. The event will feature 10 games drawn from a list of 20 possibilities, with the final selections revealed only when the event begins.
“We don’t want to try to get anybody the edge,” McCool said. “Nobody is going to know what games exactly we’re doing until the event.”
He described the activities as accessible challenges focused on skill, strength and agility.
“All the games are going to be people games,” McCool said. “There’ll be games of skill, there’ll be games of strength, agility, so forth.”
Competition begins Friday, May 15, with registration opening at 3 p.m. and games running from 4 to 8 p.m. Events resume Saturday, May 16, at 8 a.m. and continue throughout the day, concluding with an awards presentation at 5 p.m. in front of the courthouse.
Each team will be required to participate in every game, with alternates encouraged.
“One of the requirements are going to be that they must complete and participate in every game,” McCool said. “If somebody for some reason drops out and they don’t have an alternate, then they’re going to forfeit any winnings they have.”
Prize money is driven entirely by sponsorships and community support, with all funds beyond event expenses returned directly to participating departments.
“Our goal is not to make money off of first responders,” McCool said. “It’s to give them money.”
McCool said commitments for prize funding came together quickly.
“I was probably looking optimistic whenever I set the goal of a thousand dollars prize money for each game and 10,000 grand prize money, but we reached that within a week,” he said.
The event is capped at 100 teams and interest has already stretched beyond Centre County.
“We have inquiries from Clearfield, Lewistown, Burnham, Reedsville, Clinton County, and of course all around here in Centre County,” McCool said. “The first 100 are going to be competing for that prize money.”
Hosted by a committee of Historic Bellefonte Inc., the weekend is intended to blend competition with community celebration. McCool said the broader goal is to foster camaraderie among departments while giving residents a chance to show their support.
“What we’re hoping everybody takes away from here is a sense of camaraderie and a fun time for them to compete,” he said. “It’s virtually untested waters, and it’s never been done as far as anything I could find.”
McCool credited strong cooperation across Bellefonte for making the event possible.
“Our goal is to get the entire community, the other two organizations, Downtown Bellefonte and the Bellefonte Intervalley Chamber and the local business owners group, all of us working together for the good of the community,” he said.
He added that borough officials were supportive from the outset.
“The town itself as a whole is really behind this event, more so than any of the events that I’ve ever been involved with,” McCool said. “None of this would be possible without the assistance of the borough.”
Community members can learn more, register teams or explore sponsorship opportunities by visiting the First Responders Weekend Facebook page, email Pat McCool at pamp@dejazzd.com, calling (814) 280-5881 or stopping by McCool’s office at 136 South Harrison Road. Teams of four can register for $50.
Looking ahead, McCool said he hopes the inaugural event becomes something bigger.
“We’re eventually hoping to pick up a major corporate sponsor,” he said. “And if that happens, we want to spread this throughout the counties and have a state playoff here in Bellefonte.”
For now, the focus is simple: competition, community and giving back to those who serve.
