Sixth annual Jessie Games scheduled in Bethel Park
The sixth annual Jessie Games will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. July 20 at Cool Springs Sports Complex, 1530 Hamilton Road, Bethel Park.
The event is an old-fashioned family picnic featuring races, a bounce house, obstacle course, home run derby, dunk tank, kid’s carnival games, face painting, bingo and more.
Cost is $45 per family and $10 per individual, which includes all events, games, a T-shirt for kids 16 and under and a picnic meal.
For admission tickets or donations and to learn more, visit thejessiegames.org.
The Jessie Games was first held in July 2014 to honor the memory and life of Jessie Egan Smith, a Mt. Lebanon resident who died in 2013. A graduate of Seton LaSalle High School, who attended Duquesne University, Jessie enjoyed sports, especially running, and participated in the Erie Half Marathon and Pittsburgh Marathon.
Her family and friends organized the Jessie Games to celebrate her competitive spirit, compassion for others and love for children in need.
Proceeds benefit Catholic Charities Youth Enrichment programs for local children, regardless of religious affiliation. The Jessie Games focuses on “Roller Coasters,” an eight-week counseling course designed to help children who have experienced trauma in their lives, such as death, serious illness or divorce, in addition to a back-to-school program to buy shoes and clothing for families in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence and Washington counties.
Youngsters participate in an activity during a previous Jessie Games.