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<\/p>\nState College resident Justin Leusner, 23, set a record by visiting all
\n30 National Basketball Association arenas in about 32 days. He documented his travels on his Basketball Today YouTube channel and was able to raise over $100,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
\nCourtesy photo<\/p>\n
STATE COLLEGE \u2014 Ever since he was 10 years old and began creating sports YouTube videos, Justin Leusner had a life goal of visiting all 30 NBA arenas.<\/p>\n
Now, at age 23, the State College resident holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to visit all 30 NBA arenas. It took him about 32 days, two days longer than his original goal.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a record Leusner achieved throughout much of last month, which some might say gives a new meaning to March Madness. However, Leusner said he did it for a worthy cause \u2014 to raise $100,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, another goal he said he can\u2019t believe he achieved on his journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still smiling from ear to ear,\u201d he said of his YouTube community rallying behind Make-A-Wish. <\/p>\n
There were hundreds of donors who each shared anywhere from $5 to $43,000, he said.<\/p>\n
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State College resident Justin Leusner (left) holds \u201cJustin\u2019s Scrapbook of FUN\u201d while aboard an airplane with his producer, Rob.
\nCourtesy photo<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just a normal kid, and I film YouTube videos on my phone. I\u2019m nothing special,\u201d Leusner said. \u201cI\u2019m just out here having fun, and it\u2019s almost like, \u2018Wow, really anyone can do this.\u2019 If you make a goal and set your mind to it, anything\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leusner began saving for the trip last year and was able to budget $80,000. He paid for his own hotels and most of the game tickets, he said, noting some NBA teams, like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trailblazers, caught on to what he was doing and donated tickets to their games.<\/p>\n
Make-A-Wish was kind enough to bring in United Airlines and Chase Travel, who collaborated to cover the cost of Leusner\u2019s flights, he said, adding Avis Car Rentals gave him a discount throughout his travels.<\/p>\n
Leusner documented the series on his Basketball Today YouTube channel, which has more than 225,000 subscribers.<\/p>\n
The journey to visit all 30 arenas in 30 days began Feb. 24, with a trip to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and concluded March 27 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, Leusner said.<\/p>\n
In order to achieve the unclaimed world record, Guinness officials told Leusner he had to follow three rules: document himself inside the arena before tipoff and stay until the final buzzer, submit all of his ticket stubs and travel receipts and have at least two people at every game sign a document to attest that he was there.<\/p>\n
To achieve the latter, Leusner created \u201cJustin\u2019s Scrapbook of FUN,\u201d in which he collected signatures, team logo stickers and programs from each game.<\/p>\n
However, 19 days in, Leusner\u2019s series hit a wall when he got stuck in Toronto. <\/p>\n
Leusner was on his way to Philadelphia, but he had to deplane because of an issue with his aircraft. His flight was then delayed several hours, making it impossible to arrive at Xfinity Mobile Arena, where the Philadelphia 76ers play, in time for the game.<\/p>\n
Leusner said he thought about ending his quest in Toronto, but then he remembered all of the Make-A-Wish kids he met along the way. <\/p>\n
Since each of them had been through so much adversity in their lives, Leusner said he asked them for words of wisdom about life. Nearly every response he received up to that point was along the lines of \u201cnever give up\u201d and \u201cthere\u2019s better days ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
That stuck with him, Leusner said, noting the series wasn\u2019t about him getting a plaque to hang on a wall. It was about the fundraiser for Make-A-Wish, and if those kids could keep going through some of the hardest roadblocks that humans ever have to face, then the least he could do was to keep going with his mission, Leusner said.<\/p>\n
Leusner purchased a rental car and drove to his next location, Cleveland. He later returned to Philadelphia before the series finale in California.<\/p>\n
However, the day before Leusner got stuck in Toronto, he got stuck in Atlanta and ended up arriving late to the Raptors\u2019 game. Leusner said he got there at halftime, and since he wasn\u2019t in the arena during tipoff, he had to go back to Toronto in order to claim the world record.<\/p>\n
Leusner said he did that Sunday, March 29, by driving from State College to Toronto and back.<\/p>\n
On Monday, March 30, Leusner rented a movie theater and held a premiere of the series finale, documenting the March 27 Golden State Warriors game against the Washington Wizards, at UEC Theaters 12, along Premiere Drive in State College.<\/p>\n
The unofficial total time for his world record was about 32 days, one hour and 45 minutes, Leusner said.<\/p>\n
When asked why he chose to pursue a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Leusner said he is a WWE fan and noted the \u201cincredible work\u201d the two organizations have done together.<\/p>\n
His first YouTube video was a WWE-style video in which Leusner and his friends created a wrestling ring in his basement and pretended to be professional wrestlers. Now that his channel has grown, Leusner said he wanted to use his love of basketball to drive meaningful change in people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n
Jono Smith, Make-A-Wish America\u2019s senior director of digital and brand communications, said Leusner\u2019s fundraising initiative helped the foundation reach more children and families at a time when \u201cthe need for hope has never been greater.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery dollar raised helps grant wishes that have a proven impact on a child\u2019s emotional and physical well being, turning fear and anxiety into hope, strength, and joy,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful to Justin for using his platform and passion for sports to help bring more life-changing wishes to kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leusner said he was inspired to do the series by another YouTube creator, Ryan Trahan, who crossed America with a penny in 2022 and raised more than $1.4 million for Feeding America.<\/p>\n
Trahan was the keynote speaker at a conference where Leusner also met his fiance, Kenzie, who edited his YouTube videos while he was traveling. The two are getting married in June and plan to live together in State College, Leusner said.<\/p>\n
Leusner attended Moorestown High School in New Jersey and graduated in 2021. He then moved to State College to attend Penn State University, where he graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship in 2024.<\/p>\n
It was around that time when he became involved with Cedar Heights Church in State College, where Leusner remains active as a small group leader, according to Dan Digman, the church\u2019s lead pastor.<\/p>\n
\u201cJustin is committed to just live out his life to serve others and tell people the love of Jesus,\u201d Digman said. \u201cThe success that he\u2019s had with social media and helping others has been incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leusner is the type of person who can make anybody feel welcome and cared for, Digman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just the way that he is,\u201d Digman said. \u201cHe\u2019s a guy that, when he\u2019s in a room, the room gets more fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leusner said he enjoys being a small group leader and helping college students who are interested in business or content creation to find and follow Jesus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a massive part of my why,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to inspire the next generation to take risks and to pursue their dreams. But if they\u2019re interested in following Jesus, I want to let them know (they) can do that and (they) don\u2019t need to be ashamed of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the comment section of his final videos, Leusner said people were asking him to do another fundraiser in partnership with Major League Baseball.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf MLB wants to do it, next summer, I\u2019ll do it,\u201d Leusner said, adding he\u2019s excited to visit Peoples Natural Gas Field to watch the Altoona Curve play ball. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be there soon for a game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Although Leusner\u2019s goal was met, people can still donate to his cause by visiting his website, www.30arenas.org.<\/p>\n
Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.<\/p>\n
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