Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of dozens of Fox Chapel Area School District families as they participated in Aspinwall’s annual Safety, Health and Wellness Day.
The borough’s parking lot along Commercial Avenue was filled with borough first responders and school resource personnel for the May 11 event.
The children took part in a variety of games and obstacle courses. Some took home new bikes, helmets and other prizes.
District officials brought in a mobile Fab Lab equipped with equipment such as 3D printers and vinyl cutters. As part of the activity, the children engraved new plates on their bikes.
Maddie Townsend, 5, a kindergarten student from Fox Chapel, made one of those plates. She said her favorite things are dancing and eating ice cream from Millie’s homemade ice cream.
“Despite the weather, it was a great event,” said Lauren Townsend, Maddie’s mother and co-owner of the frozen treat business with her husband, Chad. “So many smiles, so many kids, so many people from the community and the Pittsburgh area. I met so many great people today.
“I think it’s great that the school district partnered with local fire departments, police departments, and public safety to host this event. Community safety is a big issue. This is a big deal and a very important topic. It’s a really fun way to engage with the community.”
Townsend also has a sophomore in the district.
The event was held from 10am to 2pm. It started raining around noon and got heavier as time went on.
District Police Chief Joe Kosarian thanked all the participants and volunteers who braved the inclement weather to make the day a success.
“We had a good turnout this year,” he said. “This is our third year. Last year it rained. The community still came out and supported (us) and had a good time. Even the rain didn’t stop people from going out. No. We did a little extra. We set up tents and everything for the vendors. It’s one of my favorite days of the year.”
This year, the district added a health component with Foxwall paramedic staff providing medical exams, blood pressure tests and demonstrations of CPR. Medical staff also spoke to visitors about how to live a healthier lifestyle.
Aspinwall firefighters brought a fire trailer into the truck for people to explore. Foxwall and Lower Valley Ambulance Services also provided ambulances for the touch track portion of the event.
“We would rather meet residents in our community in these settings than during the time an emergency ambulance might be needed,” said Lower Valley Ambulance Director and Chief Terry Anzaldi. said.
“Community events give us the opportunity to speak with residents and demonstrate our state-of-the-art equipment, and give residents the opportunity to meet our dedicated personnel who are up to the task.”
There were also some healthy food options, including fruit and chicken kebabs prepared by Shannon Santucci, the district’s resource officer who is also the mayor of Arnold.
Superintendent Mary Catherine Lerjack said the event exemplifies two pillars of the district’s strategic vision for success: community and care.
“Care is about taking care of yourself and taking care of others, and community is about building a greater sense of community,” Lerjack said. “We have some new groups with tables. We have introduced a mobile Fab Lab with some activities for the kids. We are introducing these exciting We’ve really expanded things, and it’s free for our family.”
This event is a collaboration between the district and its resource officers in collaboration with the district’s municipalities (Aspinwall, Brownox, Foxchapel, Sharpsburg District, O’Hara District, Indiana District) and its police, fire and emergency departments. I’m supporting it.
Megan Collette, district executive director of innovative leadership in education, secured a $25,000 grant through the Grable Foundation to support the event, as well as a $25,000 grant to support pre-middle school relationship building with the district’s fifth grade students. We took everyone on a trip to Camp Guyasta.
Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania with an interest in festivals and food. Contact him at mdivittorio@triblive.com.
