TAMAQUA, Pa. -- We've seen countless examples of sports fans showing off their intense fandom, by decorating things like "man caves" and motor homes.
Well, one woman in Schuylkill County has turned her office into her own Happy Valley, Happy Place.
Even in her 70s, Pat Freeh Stefanek says she loves coming to work every day at the ABC Tamaqua Hi-Rise, and it doesn't hurt that she naturally feels happy inside her Happy Valley themed office.
"One of my tenants came down, and he needed money one day. He said, 'you like Penn State, you want to buy this for $10?' I said 'Yeah, I'll buy it’ so I bought that and put it there and little by little, things would come, or once in a while, I'd see something I like and buy it. After 25 years, it all added up," property manager Stefanek said.
Pat's been a Penn State Football season ticket holder for more than three decades, and in her Tamaqua office, has hundreds of pieces of Penn State memorabilia. Classic Coca-Cola bottles? Check. Even a signed card from Joe Paterno, wishing her and her husband, who has since passed, well wishes for their wedding. Her favorite item, a picture of the two before a Penn State game. They had their first date at Beaver Stadium.
"I enjoy the crowd and the 100,000 people. The feeling and the exhilaration you get when you're there, and they're pounding their feet, screaming and hollering. If you've never experienced it, you need to go at least one time. I think one good time, you'll be hooked,” Stefanek said.
And as evidenced by her collection, that's what happened to Pat. She and her family will be leaving Christmas day to head down to Texas for the Cotton Bowl. Penn State will take on Memphis on December 28.
"Never was in Texas, never was at the Cotton Bowl. We were hoping it wasn't going to be the Rose Bowl or any of the others because I've been at most of those, and we're excited about going to Texas," Stefanek said.
Like Pat, Newswatch 16 will be there as well for the big game, so keep an eye out for our coverage.