More than a year ago, Blue Band alum Matt Gregory ’06 thought of the perfect birthday gift for his father, William Gregory ’75, also a Blue Band veteran. He ran the idea past his mother who agreed Dad would “come unglued” if Matt could pull it off. Fifteen months later, Matt made his dad’s day.

What’s the perfect gift for someone who played trumpet in the Blue Band and was president of the group in 1974? Leading the band through the traditional fight songs during the Blue Band Tailgreat Show in the Bryce Jordan Center before the Homecoming Game, of course. Matt Gregory’s MasterCard®, offered through the Penn State Alumni Association and Bank of America, made the gift possible. “I saw the ‘Lead the Band during Tailgreat’ reward on the Bank of America Web site but I didn’t have the required points,” he said. So he saved his Penn State Reward Points for a year until he had the 35,000 needed to put Pop on the podium.

“My father was a high school band director and is a Blue Band fanatic,” Gregory explained. “His birthday is Oct. 15, and I knew he’d be on campus for Homecoming so he’d be able to direct the band with my sister in it.” (Kate Gregory is a sophomore and saxophone player in the Blue Band.) Matt, who works as a border guard for the U.S. Border Patrol in Southern California, also knew the Homecoming Game was the only one he could attend this season. “I definitely wanted to witness my dad leading the whole band,” he said.

Gregory’s plan came together beautifully. In addition to taking the podium to lead the Blue Band, William Gregory also served as guest drum major, leading the band from the BJC to the Beaver Stadium gates. And father and son, both trumpet players, marched and played together in the Alumni Blue Band during the Homecoming Parade on Friday and during the game on Saturday.

The Penn State Alumni Association and Bank of America launched the Penn State Rewards Program in 2005. By simply using their credit card—featuring an image of either the Nittany Lion or Coach Joe Paterno—Penn Staters can accumulate points good for Beaver Stadium sideline passes, JoePa signed helmets and balls, game-worn jerseys, and more. The rewards start with as few as 3,500 points. In addition to earning these exciting experiences, cardholders are also helping the Penn State Alumni Association sustain programs and events that connect alumni to each other and help today’s students.

Learn more about the expanded and upgraded Penn State Rewards Program.