Posted 2/7/2025
Several old friends gathered at Central Grille Diner in Robinson, PA to surprise Ricky for his 70th birthday. Merakey AVS past and present employees Mary Ord, Lelsie Hickman, Jadan Hickman, Anne Grillo, Allison Miller, Leighann Falleker, and Maggie Panizzi showed up at the diner to celebrate. Ricky was smiling from ear to ear, as the surprise made his birthday feel extra special. Happy 70th birthday, Ricky!
Kregg, James, Jonathan, and Keith from Wildwood home were accompanied by staff members Christian Cuspard, Jamie Pedaline, and Wendy Parker to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH.
Staff members from the Edward J. Zapp Center including Bob Lane, Daria Matcho, Sammie Pirrung, and Dominique Luffy took the icy plunge at the Beaver County Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics of Pennsylvania. Their team, "Frozen Assets," raised $1,795, contributing to the campaign's total of $164K! The event encourages participants of all ages to show their support for local athletes, with everyone freezing for a good cause!
Alex, Mike, Kevin, Brian, and Jeffrey from Hookstown home at Merakey AVS continue their exploration of local cultural spots around Pittsburgh. Recently, they visited the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, as well as the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Aaliyah DiMarco, the Horticulture Coordinator at the Pittsburgh Campus, has been organizing some exciting activities at the Greenhouse. Roni, Mark, Jimmy, Samantha, and others have been growing their own seedlings and will soon be ready to plant them.
A Program Instructor from the Slippery Rock Program Center taught her area how to make wreaths for Valentine’s Day. Each person chose the embellishments they wanted to use on the wreath. No two were alike. Everyone was happy with their beautiful crafts, and they looked forward to displaying the wreaths in their homes.
Madison, a Program Aide at Slippery Rock Program Center, took a small group to the Heinz History Center. The group was excited to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Some enjoyed seeing the Steelers displays, while others enjoyed the Heinz paraphernalia. Everyone had a great time.
Several groups from Slippery Rock Program Center have been perfecting their bowling skills for the upcoming bowling tournament hosted by the Merakey Foundation. Some individuals and staff bowled at Coffaro’s Bowling Alley in Slippery Rock, while others tried Belmont Lanes in Butler, PA. Everyone had a great time knocking down pins.
Slippery Rock Program Instructor Bob Graziani took individuals to the Arts and Education at the Hoyt in New Castle, PA to see the different displays. The Center featured a permanent collection as well as displays from local artists. Kenton really liked the flamingo, and Mike loved the suit of armor.
On February 4th, the Merakey AVS Miracle League players were celebrated during the halftime show at the Moon Area High School varsity basketball game. Each spring and fall, Moon student-athletes lend a hand at Miracle League baseball games, building connections with the community. Players Robert, Steven, Darrell, Jeff, Mark, Shawnn, Michael, Courtney, and Robbie had a blast watching the game courtside and were honored on the court at half time. It was a fantastic evening that gave them the opportunity to cheer on their friends from Moon as they secured a blowout victory, while also celebrating our Miracle League Athletes achievements on the field.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our staff for making this possible and ensuring our residents had the opportunity to attend. Special thanks to Georgann Amrhein, Roman Jones, Blake Casto, Michael Casto, and Ron Coperich from the Pittsburgh Campus, and to Bizzy Hanniford, Christina Goodwine, Keanu Wynn, and Tavius Hill from Patricia Hillman Miller Campus.
