Community Day a great recruiting tool for Bethel Park
Photos: Eleanor Bailey/ The Almanac
Katye Zeiler from Highpoint Fitness assists Gwendolyn and Morgan Reilly as they play a game at the fish pond during Bethel Park Community Day. The Reilly sisters attended their first community day with their parents, Tracey and Colin. “There has always been other things for them to do because they are in a couple of sports and other activities,” explained Mrs. Reilly. “They had fun at community day. We like Bethel Park because of its sense of togetherness.”
Photos: Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Declan Plummer, 5, exits a fire truck on display at Bethel Park Community Day festivities.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Emily Fragello, 2, slips down the miniature slide during Bethel Park Community Day. Emily attended the event for the first time with her parents, Alyssa and Mario, and brother, Hunter.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Tomoka Ninomiya enjoys a cherry-flavored ice during Bethel Park Community Day.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Although he is a catcher, Johnny Lorenzi takes his turn pitching at a Bethel Park youth baseball booth during community festivities. Lorenzi said his favorite player was his teammate Jackson Kelton (pictured back right) and that one day they both hope to make the high school varsity team and help the Hawks win more state championships. Bethel Park won back-to-back PIAA titles in 2021 and 2022.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Dan Duff from the Bethel Park Community Foundation helps Emily Lee with a “Pick-A-Pop” game during community day.
Photos: Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
London Killinger, Elena Maise and Abby Maher helped man a booth for the Spencer YMCA to promote the Y Princess and Guides program during Bethel Park Community Day. Of the Y programs, Maher said, “It’s a fun thing to do with your dad and you get all these badges by going to events. The program is great because I was able to meet a lot of people I may never have gotten to know unless I was in this.” Maher noted it’s made for an easy transition since she entered fifth grade at Neil Armstrong Middle School this fall after having attended one of the five different elementary schools in Bethel Park.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Christina Priore dressed up in period attire to promote both the Daughters of the Revolution as well as the Bethel Park Historical Society during community day. Priore is trying to get into the children’s division of the DAR as her grandmother is affiliated with the organization. Priore said it’s fun to dress up and meet people at events like community day. “I love bringing joy to children’s faces and I love Bethel Park. It’s an amazing community. Everybody is very kind to everybody, and I find that to be a very good trait for a community.”
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Liam Karabinos, 3, enjoys his ride on a long slide at Bethel Park Community Day.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Kelly Kuhn helps young patrons play a game at the Bethel Park travel basketball organization’s booth during community day.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Sydney Wessert, Owen Heitzenarter, Patience Nugent, Cooper Laska, Tanner Laska, Jamie Wessert represented Scout Packs 228 and 9228 during Bethel Park Community Day. According to sponsor Susan Nujent, the event is an opportunity to recruit new members. “It’s been an enjoyable day. We have had a lot of good visitors coming in and talking to the kids.”
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Abigail Goldenberg, Sara Impellicceiri and Faith Clunan sold cotton candy and other treats at the Interact Booth during Bethel Park Community Day.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Taking a break during Bethel Park Community Day activities from left are: Anthony and Kate DeMarco with their son, Mycah; Kayde DeMarco with Anthony Postlethwait.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Bethel Park Mayor Jack Allen stops to talk with Haha Eason at the American Legion booth during community day. Eason will be the featured speaker at the municipalities Veterans Day
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jackson Kelton, 11, unleashes a fastball at a target at the Bethel Park youth baseball’s pitching booth while his teammate Johnny Lozenzi (background) waits his turn during community day.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mike Dobos, Anna Caruso and Dan Duff represented the Bethel Park Community Foundation at community day.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Tilly Becker, Emily Lee and Bella Crane from Pittsburgh Aquatics Swimming pose for a photo with their moderator, Deb Hazlett.
Photos: Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Keira Ross, Cassie Sierka, MacKenzie Smock and Emma Smith show off the mums and specialty cookies they sold as fundraisers for the Bethel Park High School tennis team during community day. The Lady Hawks are fresh off a 5-0 victory against rival and defending WPIAL team champions, Mt. Lebanon. Smock and Smith played in the match, which featured straight set sweeps in each event, including their first doubles duel. Smock, Smith and Sierka are also members of the Interact Club.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mike Bruckner mans the Bethel Park High School baseball team booth during community day.
Sara Impellicceiri attended her first Bethel Park Community Day last year. It proved a life-changing event for the Burgettstown native and former Lincoln Park Charter School student because she is now totally ensconced in the municipality as well as the school district.
A junior, she joined Interact and DECA, service clubs to which she was introduced that fateful day in September. Impellicceiri said community day was a great recruiting tool.
“Community day sold me on Bethel Park. I loved how welcoming everyone was. It solidified my decision to come here,” Impellicceiri said. “It’s a great event because you can learn about all the different things that are offered in the Bethel area and at the high school.”
Under threatening rains clouds, a parade signaled the start of the festivities at 9 a.m. Launched from the municipal building, marching units stepped off and floats proceeded to the high school campus, where 60 vendor booths were set up in the parking lot. The day’s activities included games, dunking tanks, activities, giveaways, slides, inflatables and a giant bounce house.
“It looked like it was going to rain and we thought it would deter people from coming out, but it didn’t,” said Mayor Jack Allen. “We had a terrific turnout. It’s one of the busiest (community days) we have had in years.”
Allen said the event is “special” because all of the local organizations are represented.
“This is where they make their pitch and money,” he said. “They don’t get that opportunity to really see the public. All the main sports, community involvement groups, businesses, they are all here.
“In my mind, what makes this community special is the support the community gives us. It’s a good day for the community to come out and support Bethel Park.”
Mike Bruckner is a big supporter of Bethel Park baseball, and he manned a concession stocked with T-shirts, sweatshirts and memorabilia from the Black Hawks’ recent back-to-back state championship title runs.
“Community day is the best day of the year,” he said. “We get to share all of our wares with the community and let them know how the season went.”
A lifelong resident who is raising his family in the municipality, Bruckner added, “Bethel Park is a great community. We got a lot of things for kids and people to do. There are parks, a community center and it’s far enough away from the city but close enough, too.”
Sara Jones has lived in Bethel Park for 23 years. She, too, is raising a talented family. Her daughter, Allison, plays on the fast-pitch softball team. Another daughter, Emily, was involved in the band before she graduated.
Jones attended community day with her brother, Dan, and his son, Declan Plummer.
“I like community day,” Jones said. “We come and like to participate. It’s nice to see all who are here and all the different activities and organizations. Bethel Park offers a lot you can get involved in and it has good schools. The thing I like about the community is how everybody pulls together and it’s safe.”
As a veteran, Haha Eason is particularly pleased with the municipality. She served actively in the Marine Corps for nine years. She noted Bethel Park’s appreciation for those who served by the number of events it holds throughout the year.
Eason, who represented the American Legion during community day activities, is a Detroit native who relocated to Bethel Park because of her employment duties within the municipality.
“I recognize that all cities were once small towns and I love how they look out for each other and they take care of one another and they seek to bring people together,” she said. “Bethel Park offers a lot of opportunities to get to know people and know your neighbor and extend a helping hand and they continue to build the community for future generations.”
Plenty of families attended community day with their young children.
Myley Metz, 11, liked the “bounce house” while her mother, Heidi, enjoyed the parade.
“We love our community and all the different organizations and different facilities, like the community center, parks, day camps, and the activities the library offers,” Heidi said.
Jennifer Vislay said she was having “a blast” chasing after her energetic son, Asher. Noting they missed the train rides, she added, “the bounce castles more than made up for it. Plus, we liked the kids games. There is so much to do here,” she said.
Liam Karabinos, 3, enjoyed the slides, saying he was “not scared” to take the plunge. Earlier in the day, he collected his share of candy while watching the parade with his dad, Brandon, mother, Katie, and sister, Quinn.
“We got a lot of candy and saw this many trucks,” Liam said sticking up a handful of fingers.
“It’s so much fun,” added Brandon of community day. “A great day for the kids. You can’t beat it. It’s a great time.”
A resident for nine years and homeowner for three, Brandon said Bethel Park is a “welcoming” and “close-knit” community but on this day citizens get a fuller picture of the town.
“You only see it in niches, like at sporting events, but community day is nice because you get to see everyone all coming together,” he said.
Kelly Kuhn shared the Karabinos family’s enthusiasm for athletics as well as community. She has lived in Bethel Park for 10 years and has supported youth basketball because her husband is the president of the travel program.
“I love community day,” she said. “It’s great to get everybody out seeing our program and getting involved with the community and bringing everybody together. I like that it’s a pretty close-knit community. Everybody seems to know everybody and everybody is a Hawk. We all root for them. Everyone can come together on that.”