LOCK HAVEN -- In the basement of Woolridge Residence Hall at Lock Haven University, there's a room you may or may not recognize from TV.
"We renovated the building two years ago,” said Dwayne Allison.
About six years ago, the people from ABC’s national show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition did their own renovation. The show came to Lock Haven after Brian Keefer a student at the time suffered a spinal cord injury.
"Just came down wrong on his neck,” said Aaron Russell.
Aaron Russell was Keefer's track and field coach. He says after the track athlete was paralyzed from the neck down he continued with his studies. Keefer lived at the residence hall with his father. The renovated community room was a way for Keefer to give back.
"You think when someone's dealt such a devastating blow to their life and they have so much energy there's really two ways they can approach how to deal with it. The first way it totally deflates them. They don't know how to go on when they don't have that outlet, and the other way is the way Brian dealt with it,” said Aaron Russell.
While Brian hasn't been a student at Lock Haven University for several years the once student-athlete has left much more than a renovated room on campus. Every year students show up and ‘Play for Brian’.
"We're out here playing for Brian. Everyone gets caught up in the whole charity thing but if you talk to Brian, he's one of the most competitive people I know. He'd be out here playing with us. Every year he tells me he's going to be on my team next year," said Kyle Heckert a graduate student.
Now in its tenth year, Lock Haven University is preparing for play for Brian. Friday night’s event gets students and staff out and active. It's also helped raise thousands for Brian’s medical expenses.
"He just wants to see other people know that it's possible to do it. There's no reason to quit never give up and he proves that every day,” said Heckert.
Brian tries to be at the event the school hopes to continue holding every year.