Lewisburg mayor honors Bucknell's Bison Outdoor Classic as borough pride

Lewisburg is putting Bucknell’s Bison Outdoor Classic squarely in the borough’s public identity, with Mayor Kendy Alvarez issuing a proclamation on April 21 that treated the track-and-field meet as far more than a campus event.

The proclamation recognized and celebrated the 2026 Bison Outdoor Classic and said the annual meet strengthens the bond between Bucknell University and the Borough of Lewisburg. It also framed the weekend as a source of community pride, athletic excellence and shared celebration as student-athletes, coaches, families and fans came into town from across the region and beyond.

That matters in a borough where Bucknell athletics is part of the local rhythm, not an isolated university activity. The proclamation said events like the Bison Outdoor Classic generate economic and cultural vitality for Lewisburg, a sign that the annual meet carries value well past the starting blocks and landing pits. Lewisburg Borough also posted a Bison Outdoor Classic page in its meeting-minutes and attachment area on April 22, underscoring that the borough was marking the event in its own public record.

Bucknell listed the 2026 Bison Outdoor Classic for April 11-13 and included it on the university’s varsity athletics calendar. The published meet schedule showed a packed weekend of track and field competition, including Sunday javelin events, which made Alvarez’s spotlight on Evelyn Bliss especially pointed.

The proclamation singled out Bliss as an example of how a small Pennsylvania town can help produce national and international success. Bucknell said Bliss won gold at the 2025 Toyota USATF National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with a throw of 57.77 meters, or 189 feet, 6 inches. A local sports report also said Bliss surpassed the 60-meter and 200-feet marks at the Bison Outdoor Classic, giving Lewisburg another reason to view the meet as more than a routine stop on the spring athletics calendar.

For Lewisburg, the message was clear: the Bison Outdoor Classic is not just happening on campus. It is part of the borough’s civic identity, a weekend that pulls visitors into town, spotlights Bucknell on a broader stage and gives Lewisburg another public moment to call its own.