The Second Mile
Encyclopedia
The Second Mile is a nonprofit organization
for underprivileged youth, providing help for at-risk children and support for their parents in Pennsylvania
. It was founded in 1977 by Jerry Sandusky
, a former Penn State assistant college football
coach. The charity said its youth programs serve as many as 100,000 children annually. The organization was engulfed in the Penn State child sex abuse scandal
after Sandusky was arrested on 40 charges of child sexual abuse in November, 2011. Soon thereafter, The Second Mile was reported to be ceasing operation with some activities perhaps being transferred to other organizations.
praised the group as a "shining example" of charity work in a 1990 letter, one of that president's much-promoted "Thousand points of light
" encouragements to volunteer community organizations. Citing Sandusky's work with The Second Mile charity to provide care for foster children, then U.S. Senator Rick Santorum
honored Sandusky with a Angels in Adoption award in 2002. Ex-Eagles
head coach Dick Vermeil
, current Eagles head coach Andy Reid
, R.R.M. Carpenter, III
, former Eagles owner, Matt Millen
from ESPN
, actor Mark Wahlberg
, Arnold Palmer
, and football players Ham and Franco Harris
, among others, served on the Honorary Board of Second Mile though questions were raised about how closely if at all the listed members were involved. Cal Ripken Jr. among others was reported to have been only marginally involved or not at all involved and Ripken asked for his name to be removed; and the list was removed from the organization's website. Harris, who strongly criticized the Penn State board for having fired Paterno, in turn lost a job he had recently taken with The Meadows Racetrack and Casino
in Washington, Pennsylvania
.
, the Hershey Company, State Farm
, U.S. Steel Corp.
, the University of Pittsburgh
, PepsiCo
, Frito-Lay
, local Walmarts and newspapers. Penn State itself donated money to The Second Mile even after high-ranking university officials were told that Sandusky had been seen sexually assaulting a boy on campus. The charity paid its CEO $133,000 a year, and his wife received about $100,000 a year.
Impact of Penn State sex abuse scandal
Founder Sandusky was arrested on charges of child sexual abuse in November 2011. Sandusky met all of the alleged victims through The Second Mile. Angels in Adoption rescinded its earlier 2002 award to Sandusky for his work with The Second Mile "in light of the serious allegations against him, and to preserve the integrity of the Angels in Adoption program."
Jack Raykovitz, the longtime president and CEO of The Second Mile, announced his resignation on November 14. Under new management, the charity told The New York Times
on November 18, 2011 that it was preparing to fold, with plans to transfer some programs to other charities. An attorney for one of Sandusky's alleged victims filed suit to prevent the transfer of assets, and the charity soon thereafter made an announcement asking potential donors to instead give to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape; programs were expected to continue at least through the end of the year.
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
for underprivileged youth, providing help for at-risk children and support for their parents in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It was founded in 1977 by Jerry Sandusky
Jerry Sandusky
Gerald Arthur "Jerry" Sandusky is a retired American football coach. Sandusky served as an assistant coach for his entire career, mostly at Pennsylvania State University under Joe Paterno, and was one of the most notable major college football coaches never to have held a head coaching position. ...
, a former Penn State assistant college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach. The charity said its youth programs serve as many as 100,000 children annually. The organization was engulfed in the Penn State child sex abuse scandal
Penn State sex abuse scandal
The Penn State sex abuse scandal refers to allegations that former Pennsylvania State University football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys on or near university property...
after Sandusky was arrested on 40 charges of child sexual abuse in November, 2011. Soon thereafter, The Second Mile was reported to be ceasing operation with some activities perhaps being transferred to other organizations.
Early work and praise
President George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
praised the group as a "shining example" of charity work in a 1990 letter, one of that president's much-promoted "Thousand points of light
Thousand points of light
The Thousand points of light was a recurring phrase in speeches given by George H. W. Bush. The term was coined by speechwriter Peggy Noonan. In his inaugural address on January 20, 1989, Bush said:...
" encouragements to volunteer community organizations. Citing Sandusky's work with The Second Mile charity to provide care for foster children, then U.S. Senator Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
honored Sandusky with a Angels in Adoption award in 2002. Ex-Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
head coach Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
, current Eagles head coach Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
, R.R.M. Carpenter, III
Ruly Carpenter
Robert Ruliph Morgan "Ruly" Carpenter III was the principal owner and president of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1972 to 1981.Carpenter was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He was only three years old when his grandfather, Robert Carpenter, Sr. bought the Phillies in 1943 and gave control of the...
, former Eagles owner, Matt Millen
Matt Millen
Matthew George "Matt" Millen is an American former National Football League linebacker and a former executive. Millen played for the Oakland Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins. In Millen's 12-year NFL playing career, he played on four Super Bowl-winning teams...
from ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, actor Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
, Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
, and football players Ham and Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
, among others, served on the Honorary Board of Second Mile though questions were raised about how closely if at all the listed members were involved. Cal Ripken Jr. among others was reported to have been only marginally involved or not at all involved and Ripken asked for his name to be removed; and the list was removed from the organization's website. Harris, who strongly criticized the Penn State board for having fired Paterno, in turn lost a job he had recently taken with The Meadows Racetrack and Casino
The Meadows Racetrack and Casino
The Meadows Racetrack and Casino is a standardbred harness racing track and slot machine casino in North Strabane Township near Meadow Lands, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The facility is located between U.S...
in Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh Metro Area in the southwestern part of the state...
.
Major donors
Major companies and foundations that have given to The Second Mile include Bank of AmericaBank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, the Hershey Company, State Farm
State farm
State farm can refer to:*Sovkhoz, a type of state-owned farm in the Soviet Union*Volkseigenes Gut, a type of state-owned farm in East Germany*Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, a type of state-owned farm in People's Republic of Poland...
, U.S. Steel Corp.
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
, the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, PepsiCo
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
, Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay North America is the division of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets and sells corn chips, potato chips and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips,...
, local Walmarts and newspapers. Penn State itself donated money to The Second Mile even after high-ranking university officials were told that Sandusky had been seen sexually assaulting a boy on campus. The charity paid its CEO $133,000 a year, and his wife received about $100,000 a year.
Impact of Penn State sex abuse scandalPenn State sex abuse scandalThe Penn State sex abuse scandal refers to allegations that former Pennsylvania State University football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys on or near university property...
Founder Sandusky was arrested on charges of child sexual abuse in November 2011. Sandusky met all of the alleged victims through The Second Mile. Angels in Adoption rescinded its earlier 2002 award to Sandusky for his work with The Second Mile "in light of the serious allegations against him, and to preserve the integrity of the Angels in Adoption program."Jack Raykovitz, the longtime president and CEO of The Second Mile, announced his resignation on November 14. Under new management, the charity told The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
on November 18, 2011 that it was preparing to fold, with plans to transfer some programs to other charities. An attorney for one of Sandusky's alleged victims filed suit to prevent the transfer of assets, and the charity soon thereafter made an announcement asking potential donors to instead give to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape; programs were expected to continue at least through the end of the year.