February 3, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - To celebrate the legacy of Penn State Football coach Joe Paterno and his 400th career victory this past season, several one-of-a-kind auction items will be awarded to the highest bidder as part of Penn State Public Broadcasting's 19th annual Connoisseur's Dinner and Auction on Saturday, Feb. 12.
One of the featured items is a Paterno-autographed necktie, worn on the day of his 400th career win - Nov. 6, 2010 against Northwestern in Beaver Stadium.
The online auction at http://wpsu.org/events/conndinner2011_auction is underway and runs until noon on Wednesday, Feb. 9. The bidding will conclude in a live auction Feb. 12 during the Connoisseur's Dinner at the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus. The highest online bidder may choose to set a maximum bid, which will be proxy-bid by a WPSU representative during the live auction. Complete rules and regulations are available at the auction website.
The other auction items include a Penn State football signed by Paterno and Penn State's 1973 Heisman Trophy recipient, John Cappelletti; a series of six photos of the Hall of Fame coach throughout the years, framed and autographed by Paterno (Photography by Dick Brown, long-time photographer from the Centre Daily Times.); and a Penn State football weekend package, including four Club Seat tickets, a preferred parking pass and lodging at State College's Barn on Circleville Bed and Breakfast.
Penn State Public Broadcasting auctioned off Coach Paterno's iconic glasses at last year's Connoisseur's Dinner for $9,000 to a couple from the Baltimore area. The Connoisseur's Dinner has featured highly sought-after Paterno sports memorabilia over the years, including the coach's autographed khaki pants, white socks, sneakers and neckties from several bowl games.
Grilling authority Steven Raichlen of PBS's "Primal Grill" will host the 19th annual Connoisseur's Dinner and Auction at 6 p.m. on Feb. 12. The event, which will benefit WPSU-TV, will feature a five-course meal and recipes from around the globe.
Penn State Public Broadcasting (PSPB) serves Central Pennsylvania with programming, educational services and community outreach. This public media service produces, acquires, and distributes programs that address local interests and reflect the diverse cultural, political, geographic and demographic characteristics of an audience within central Pennsylvania. For more information, visit http://www.wpsu.org/ online.