Members of the Greater Pittston Santa Squad attended the fundraiser at The Red Mill, Pittston, where Penn State football co-captain and West Pittston native Dominic DeLuca signed autographs and donated all of the proceeds to the Santa Squad on Thursday.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Matt Bufano shows a children’s book he wrote for his daughter Adalyn starring Penn State football player Dominic DeLuca. Bufano had the book autograhed by DeLuca on Thursday night at The Red Mill, Pittston.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Dominic DeLuca, co-captain on the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, points to his photo that hangs at The Red Mill, Pittston. DeLuca was in town to aid in a Greater Pittston Santa Squad fundraiser on Thursday evening.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Leigh Recupero, far right, and her two daughters, Maria English, center left, and Nancy Recupero, center right, have a light moment with Penn State football team co-captain and Wyoming Area graduate, Dominic DeLuca, at The Red Mill on Thursday night for a benefit for The Greater Pittston Santa Squad.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Chris Sauchak of Hanover Twp., right, points to where he would like Penn State football captain Dominic DeLuca, left, to sign his helmet at The Red Mill, Pittston, Thursday night. DeLuca was in town to help support the Greater Pittston Santa Squad’s fundraiser.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON – The Greater Pittston Santa Squad (GPSS) got a boost from Penn State football co-captain Dominic DeLuca when he offered to hold a fundraiser where he signed autographs, donating the money raised to GPSS at The Red Mill on Thursday.
DeLuca, a Wyoming Area graduate, led his high school football team at quarterback to a PIAA State Football Championship in 2019.
He was a walk-on at Penn State, eventually making the team. After red-shirting for a year, he rejoined the team and earned a full scholarship. He will return for his last year of college football later this year repeating as a team co-captain.
DeLuca heard about GPSS when his mother Ree Ree brought the Santa Squad non-profit to his attention.
“I’ve always wanted to be able to give back to the community and I thought,without a doubt, it would go to Pittston Santa Squad,” DeLuca said. “What they’re doing is a great thing and everyone deserves to have some fun and something underneath the tree when it comes to that time of the year.”
Anthony Marranca, GPSS founder and president, was thrilled to have DeLuca aboard.
“We raised a lot of money and it all goes to the kids in Greater Pittston,” Marranca said. “He reached out to us and we couldn’t be happier. He’s been donating toys to us for years and he feels great about the Santa Squad and he didn’t want a thing. He donated everything, [including] his photos and T-shirts, to us and we would love to partner with him again.”
Matt Bufano, also a Wyoming Area graduate and new dad, stopped by with his father Tom, both Penn State fans and fans of DeLuca. They brought in Penn State items to be signed by DeLuca.
One item was a children’s book dedicated to his daughter Adalyn entitled: “Heart of a Lion: The Dominic DeLuca Story.”
Bufano said he’s always admired DeLuca over the years, saying he is one of the hardest workers at Penn State.
“He is everything good about college athletics in Penn State and I think it’s important to honor a hometown hero,” Bufano said. “I think it’s important to support our local boys and girls who have done well.”
What was the drive behind writing a book about DeLuca?
“I’ve got a new daughter and I thought that it was a fitting way to honor Dominic’s story and tell it while also doing something that was a fun, creative outlet, you know, getting to tell a story, but telling it for a child,” Bufano said. “It’s something she could have for the rest of her life.”
