RailRiders to Host Office Night Calling all “The Office” lovers! Don’t miss Office Olympics Night at PNC Field on Saturday, August 12. The first 2,500 fans to enter the ballpark at 5 p.m. will receive an Oswald Peraza & Oswaldo Cabrera Dual Bobblehead Giveaway. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. against the rival Syracuse Mets. During the game, Kate Flannery will return to her Dunder Mifflin roots to meet with fans and sign autographs from 6 to 8 p.m. (*Timeframe subject to change.) You can even enjoy a Meredith Palmer adult beverage and themed games all night long. Stick around after the final out for post-game FIREWORKS to cap off an electric night by the Electric City!
Made Famous by The Office, Pennsylvania Paper & Supply celebrates its 100th Anniversary Company’s iconic red brick tower is the opening shot of The Office intro Every episode of The Office opens with the red brick tower of Pennsylvania Paper & Supply (PPS), a Scranton institution and family business celebrating its 100th anniversary on Friday, May 20, with a ribbon‐cutting ceremony to symbolize the opening of a new century of serving its customers.“My grandfather Jacob Fink and my dad Jerry Fink would be proud to see how much their company has grown over the last 100 years and surprised to learn that our building is a landmark known around the world,” said Douglas Fink, Pennsylvania Paper & Supply President. “A young John Krasinski took that opening shot of our tower in 2004 when he was doing research for The Office and for his role as Jim Halpert in the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin.” “Almost two decades later, fans from around the world still show up daily looking for the real Dunder Mifflin, but we’re not the colorful oddballs of The Office; we’re a team of 300 professionals steeped in 100 years of history,” he added. The PPS story began in 1922 when Jacob Fink opened a business selling paper bags to Scranton’s grocers. Built on his core principles of listening to the customers, filling their needs, and doing it better than anyone else, PPS expanded its product line beyond paper to include janitorial and sanitation supplies. It also broadened its territory beyond eastern Pennsylvania into New York and New Jersey and now services everywhere in the country through e‐commerce. Matching the longevity of the company is the loyalty of its clients, some of which have been customers since the firm’s earliest days. As the company grew it moved several times before opening its Scranton Showroom & Warehouse under the iconic tower almost 55 years ago, a fitting site for its 100th anniversary celebration and ribbon‐cutting. “Since our founding, Pennsylvania Paper & Supply has strived to uphold our core values set by my grandfather Jacob—to serve our community, employees, and marketplace with excellence. We look forward to building on this legacy as a way forward for the next one hundred years,” said Fink.
VIM to Host The Office 5k Valley in Motion is hosting The Office 5K. The road race passes sites featured on NBC’s “The Office.” Starting in the shadow of the Electric City sign in downtown Scranton, runners or walkers will pass the Penn Paper, Cooper’s, the Dwight mural, and more. Participants can dress up as their favorite Office character for fun and prizes. WHEN: Saturday, April 30, 1pmWHERE: Race starts and ends at the 500 Linden Street block in downtown ScrantonSIGN-UP: www.theoffice5K.comPRE-PARTY: Packet pickup and pre-race party at Cooper’s Seafood House on April 29 from 5-7pm. Office trivia, raffle baskets, and special Firkin Friday small-cask beer will be on tap. A fun promotional video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw3CnoeaIjs Race proceeds benefit Valley In Motion, a non-profit fostering community and quality of life in the Lackawanna Valley. More information about VIM at www.valleyinmotion.org.
Penn State Scranton Alum to Speak About ‘Office’ Experience Lynn Jesuitt-Donnini loves her job for a number of reasons, among them its relationship to a certain beloved Scranton-set TV show. On Monday, June 21, the Penn State Scranton alumna will be the featured speaker for the Penn State Northeast Region alumni chapters’ Summer 2021 Virtual Speakers Series. That night, Jesuitt-Donnini will discuss her experiences as the vice president of people/culture and public relations at Scranton-based Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Co., which for more than a decade has nurtured and maintained an association with the NBC sitcom “The Office.” The Penn Paper-“The Office” connection is now well-known. Not only is the television show set at a Scranton-based paper company — the fictional “Dunder Mifflin” — but the Penn Paper building is among the various Scranton locales seen in the show’s opening credits. In addition to her duties hiring, training and retaining Penn Paper and its affiliates’ nearly 300 employees, Jesuitt-Donnini has become the business’ go-to authority on “The Office.” Even today, the brick building with the distinctive tower continues to attract TV-show fans from all over the world who want to get a glimpse of the iconic landmark and all of the other real-life local places name-checked on the series, which ran on NBC from 2005 to 2013 but remains wildly popular through syndication and streaming services. At the upcoming event, Jesuitt-Donnini will share her anecdotes and collectibles from “The Office,” as well as provide attendees with a virtual tour of the Penn Paper operation. Jesuitt-Donnini said the company’s enduring association with the show has been nothing short of mind-blowing. “I never would have thought it would be this popular even 10 years later. We get visitors from all over the world to visit the tower and just get a glimpse of the ‘Office’ sign,” she said. “We are also one of the top five things to do while visiting Scranton, and have been on the cover and listed in many magazines and tourist promotional items. While we are not just a paper company, fans don’t seem to mind. They just want a picture to say they were here. The PR for this has been unbelievable.” Jesuitt-Donnini attended the campus from 1986 to 1988 before completing her bachelor’s degree in management at Penn State Harrisburg in 1990. She remembers plenty from her two years on campus, including the many people who left a lasting impression on her, among them former faculty members Dante Cancelli, Richard Harmstone and Walt Weber and former admissions office representative Ann Wilson. Even today, “they remind me how to be a better person,” said Jesuitt-Donnini, who has participated in the campus’ mentoring program. “I loved being at Worthington,” said Jesuitt-Donnini, referring to the campus’ former name. “Obviously, it was a little different, having only a few buildings compared to what is there today. The professors were just amazing and I often reflect on so many experiences. They really did take an interest, and back then we didn’t have the technology that we do today, so you were really able to sit and verbally communicate for hours with each other. For many of us, the SLC was our second home. There was no texting and no computers in class — you had to go to the computer lab to use one back then.” After graduating from Harrisburg, Jesuitt-Donnini worked in the banking industry for several years before realizing her true calling was “to work with individuals to help them find career placements and better opportunities.” So, she switched gears and pursued a new career in human resources. One day in 2005, she received an unexpected phone call from Douglas Fink, owner of Penn Paper & Supply. He wanted her to join the family-owned company as its very first director of human resources. Since then, Jesuitt-Donnini’s role has expanded significantly to also include public relations, marketing and event planning. She’s proud of the vital role she’s played in the company’s continual growth. “I’ve been here for 16 years, so that does say a lot,” Jesuitt-Donnini said. “It took a while and a lot of hard work to obtain this position. You must have a good leader and you also need to have great people on your team. The team is what drives any company and its goals, and here everyone knows what is expected of them.” Given the campus played such a significant role in shaping her professional journey, Jesuitt-Donnini is all too happy to come back and share her story with her fellow alumni. “I’m looking forward to sharing my life and how my education, family and Penn State really set the groundwork for who I am and what I bring to others,” she said. “No one can ever take your education from you. It is something that today many may take for granted, but just 30 years ago, that was not the case. The world has changed, the people have changed, technology has played a huge part in lives, but the one thing that still remains are the values that have to be there. Having a good foundation, education and family values plays a big part in anyone’s future.” The presentation begins at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Register at this link for it or any of the other summer alumni events. The other Northeast Region Virtual Speakers Series events this summer are: Summer BINGO Madness: Featuring the Penn State “Button Man”Monday, June 7, at 7 p.m. Jonathan U. Dougherty, Penn State class of 1999, director of corporate knowledge for James G. Davis Construction Corporation, will host a night of virtual bingo. Five games will be played, with each winner receiving a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. The winner of a final “coverall”-themed game will earn a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card. Creative Candles by CorinaMonday, July 12, at 7 p.m. Corina Piller, Penn State class of 2016, owner of She Paints Co., will demonstrate the process of making soy candles. Through a Dog’s EyesMonday, Aug. 9, at 7 p.m. Retired Penn State Hazleton Assistant Professor of Biology David Orbin and his wife, Kathy, will discuss the origins of guide dogs for visually impaired people, their training from birth to service, and how local volunteer families are participating in this important service. Kahoot – Penn State TriviaMonday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. Roseanne Chesakis, Penn State class of 1984, information resources and services supervisor at Penn State Schuylkill’s Ciletti Memorial Library, will host a night of Penn State-themed trivia. There will be five games in total, with each winner receiving a $20 Barnes & Noble gift card. One grand prize winner will receive a Penn State goodie basket.
