Posted 7/25/2025
PVGP Race Weekend
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (PVGP) concluded its annual celebration with an exciting Race Weekend at Schenley Park. Thousands of spectators attended the 10 days of motorsport events held across Western Pennsylvania, which included the Kick-Off Rallye, car cruises and shows, the Black Tie & Tailpipes Gala, the Sewickley Stampede, Tune-Up at SouthSide Works, the Phipps Garden Party, and more!
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to the dedicated Merakey staff, families, and friends who generously volunteered at multiple events leading up to and during Race Weekend. Volunteers contributed in many important areas such as registration, merchandise and recruitment booths, admission donations, shuttle stations, lunch distribution, and more. Your efforts truly made a difference - we couldn’t have done it without you!
Merakey AVS is proud and deeply grateful for the ongoing support from the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, a partnership that has continued since the PVGP’s founding in 1983. To learn more about PVGP, visit pvgp.org.
Growing Together Aquaponics
A group from Slippery Rock Program Center has been visiting Growing Together Aquaponics in Butler, PA for the past several weeks. Aquaponics is a sustainable way to farm, where nothing is wasted. The waste from the fish is used to grow plants such as organic lettuce and spinach, which are then used at local eateries. Once the fish achieve their largest size, they are also used for fish fries. The individuals have been assisting with measuring the fish food and feeding the fish, taking water samples to test for appropriate pH and nitrate levels, sowing seeds and helping to harvest the greens. They really enjoy learning about the aquaponics system and helping the staff.
Making Mac and Cheese
Heather learned to make homemade macaroni and cheese in the food prep area of the Edward J. Zapp Program Center. The dish turned out delicious!
A Day at Phipps
The ladies from Galey home at Merakey AVS recently enjoyed a lovely day at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh.
WWE in Pittsburgh
Jonathan, Kregg, Kenny, and staff member John DeMacio were pumped to attend WWE’s Monday Night Raw in Pittsburgh, where they saw some of their favorite wrestlers.
Frick Park
Pam, Colleen, Arlene, and Heather from Coleman home explored the scenic outdoor areas of Frick Park in Pittsburgh.
Pirates Game
Rob and Matt are two friends from Slippery Rock who are huge Pittsburgh Pirates fans. They had a great night at a recent Pirates game where they enjoyed eating popcorn and hot dogs and loved being part of the crowd cheering for their favorite team. They were especially happy that the Pirates won. Rob said, "I think we brought them luck."
