A large crowd of enthusiastic fans came together March 9 at the PPL Center in Allentown to celebrate Saquon Barkley, his accomplishments and his Lehigh Valley roots. The event was hosted by the Michael Ann and Saquon Barkley Hope Foundation and the city of Allentown.

Barkley graduated from Whitehall High School in 2015 and went to Penn State, where he continued playing football. He became a household name when he signed on to play in the NFL with the New York Giants. His fame escalated when he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for this last season and served as one of the major players to get the team to and win Super Bowl LIX.

The 7,500 event tickets were sold out within hours, with half of the proceeds being shared with Barkley’s foundation. The foundation was started to honor his grandmother and to help children and young adults overcome obstacles and succeed in life.

After the PPL Center gates opened, the Whitehall High School cheerleaders, along with mascot Big Z, entertained and pumped up the crowd. Barkley made a grand entrance to loud cheers coming from the stands.

The WHS Marching Zephyr Band played the national anthem to open the day.

Emcee Priscilla Reyes, Allentown special events manager, provided some opening remarks and introduced the speakers. Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, Whitehall Township Mayor Joseph Marx Jr. and Alberta Scarfaro, of the foundation and a Whitehall commissioner, all spoke to the audience about Barkley and what he means to the people of Whitehall and the greater Lehigh Valley.

The mayors declared March 9, 2025, as Saquon Barkley Day in the city of Allentown and Whitehall Township. Barkley was then presented with a key to the city of Allentown and mayoral proclamations.

To close out the event that was filled with cheers, applause and the expected “Eagles” chants, Barkley addressed the crowd. He spoke of what it meant to him to have his family move to the Lehigh Valley from Brooklyn, N.Y. Barkley was provided a better life, he said, and given opportunities to be able to turn into the football player and the man he is today.