The nonprofit organization founded by accused child molester Jerry Sandusky served, directly or indirectly, nearly a half-million young Pennsylvanians in 2010, including 9,226 from Northumberland County.
Programs offered by The Second Mile to county children were Nittany Lion Tips, PEAK, Leadership Institute and the Challenge Program.
Other offerings included an annual recreational event for foster families at Knoebels Amusement Resort. The event was held this year in June, according to thesecondmile.org.
Karen Miller, administrator of county children and youth, said Thursday that while The Second Mile's event at Knoebels is offered to Northumberland County foster families, her agency does not refer them to it.
"Whether or not people attend, that's their own thing," she said. "We don't refer them."
Both Miller and Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi said they had no knowledge of any direct involvement between county programs and The Second Mile.
The "number of individuals served" by The Second Mile is listed in a map on the program's website that breaks down the totals by county. In addition to the 9,749 served in 2010, the program served 8,470 in 2005, 8,815 in both 2006 and 2007, 8,837 in 2008 and 9,226 in 2009 in Northumberland County.
The number of individuals served in many cases seems to correspond with county populations - the higher populated counties having been served more. Five counties in the southeastern region of the state, for example, served more than 20,000 each in 2010.
Also of note is Centre County, home to Penn State, where the number of individuals served by The Second Mile grew from 12,084 in 2005 to 20,613 last year.
Programs
The Tips and PEAK programs appear simply to provide educational materials to schools. The Leadership Institute and Challenge Program involve direct contact within the program.
According to the organization's website, sports trading cards and facilitators' guides are provided to school counselors for elementary students to promote educational messages. PEAK involves a "play kit" and instructional videos on bullying, low self-esteem and peer pressure.
The institute is a conference for high school students to promote student leadership and community service, according to thesecondmile.org.
The Challenge Program is a residential program with year-round follow-ups. It offers a goal-set, with achievements awarded with an opportunity to earn a return trip to a summer program.
It's unclear in what setting The Second Mile's educational programs were offered within Northumberland County.
Resignation
Sandusky, the once highly regarded defensive coordinator for Penn State's football program, is charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse. Authorities said the abuse occurred between 1995 and 2005 and involved eight boys he met through his charity.
The criminal charges stem from a grand jury investigation that eventually resulted in the firing late Wednesday of legendary head football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier.
Several media outlets had published a resignation letter this week that was received by The Second Mile from Sandusky in 2010 and had been available on its website before it was removed.
In his resignation letter, as published by myfoxphilly.com, Sandusky wrote, "Dear Friends, As a new school year begins and we get ready to launch another year of Second Mile programs, I realize more than ever how many special people have come forward through the years to make it possible for us to reach out to so many children across Pennsylvania."
The letter mentions a plan to build a "Center for Excellence" in 2011, and Sandusky writes that, "Watching this unfold has been an exciting and rewarding experience."
"As I reflect on these developments and my own path with The Second Mile, I believe this is a good time for me to retire from my day-to-day involvement with the organization in order to devote more time to my family and personal matters," Sandusky's letter states.
In a statement published on its website, The Second Mile says it learned from Sandusky himself in November 2008 that he was under investigation for an accusation of molestation. Since that admission, Sandusky has had no involvement with The Second Mile, according to the statement.
"To our knowledge, all the alleged incidents occurred outside of our programs and events," the statement claims.
The statement continues, "Our highest priority always has been and will continue to be the safety and well-being of the children participating in our programs. We encourage program participants to report any allegations of abuse and/or inappropriate sexual activity wherever it has occurred, and we take any such reports directly to Child Protective Services. ...
"The Second Mile has helped thousands of Pennsylvania's children to lead better lives, and we remain committed to that mission. Our success is a result of the trust placed in us by the families and professionals with whom we partner, and we will take any steps needed to maintain their confidence in us."