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Senator Wayne D. Fontana

FontanaFest Fun Run/Walk & FontanaFest This Saturday!

FontanaFest Fun Run/Walk FontanaFest Fun Run/Walk Register today for this Saturday’s 1st annual FontanaFest One Mile Fun Run/Walk!  Then enjoy the 13th annual FontanaFest, which follows.

Are you interested in helping the cause of ending childhood cancer?  Do you like to run? Are you a casual walker?  Do you enjoy the beauty of our riverfronts?  If the answer is “yes!” to any of those questions then consider participating in the 1st annual Fun Run/Walk sponsored by Highmark and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC this Saturday!

The FontanaFest Fun Run/Walk will take place at Highmark Stadium with runners beginning at 10:30 a.m. and walkers at 10:45 a.m.  The unique course will start inside Highmark Stadium before turning onto the river trail, ultimately ending inside the stadium.  All participants will get a t-shirt and awards will be presented following the race. 

Registration is $10 for individuals and can be done by clicking here or visiting https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Pittsburgh/FontanaFestFunRunWalk.  Families with three or more people can register for a flat fee of $25.  Proceeds from the race will be donated to organizations in support of fighting childhood cancer and supporting families – Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.

Following the race, awards will be presented on the field at Highmark Stadium while the 13th annual FontanaFest kicks off at 11 a.m. 

FontanaFest, a free community event, is perfect for families and children, promoting healthy and active lifestyles by providing many fun activities, games and crafts.  Children will have the chance to play on several inflatables, an obstacle course, and a climbing wall, and visit with a temporary tattoo artist, face painter and balloon maker.  All attendees also are provided with the opportunity to engage with more than a dozen organizations from around the region and receive important information on available services and programs, nutrition, health care and much more. 

The following organizations are participating in FontanaFest this year: The Home Depot; Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; Homeless Children’s Education Fund; Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater; WQED-TV; Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy; Calgon Carbon; Gateway Health Plan; Holy Family Institute; Crisis Center North; Pittsburgh Organ Donor Awareness; and the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children.

A Roving Puppet Stage from Pittsburgh Puppet Works will be present from noon – 2 p.m. and guests can also mingle with the Pirate Parrot, Iceburgh and Steely McBeam. I’m also excited to announce that students from Pittsburgh Musical Theater will perform at 1 p.m.!

Parking will be free in the stadium’s West Lot, compliments of Forest City.

FontanaFest would not be possible without the support of our sponsors.  I want to give special thanks to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds for hosting us at Highmark Stadium, Station Square and Forest City for providing free parking to our guests, and the  I.B.E.W. Local 5 for their terrific support!

The following organizations make FontanaFest possible with their tremendous support and I am very grateful for their efforts in helping us put on this great family event:

Whether you’re an avid runner or just like the idea of taking a casual stroll along our riverfronts, consider participating in the 1st annual FontanaFest Fun Run/Walk while supporting the worthwhile cause of ending childhood cancer and providing support for families and then stay for the 13th annual FontanaFest!

Flu/Pneumonia Shot & Senior Clinic

shotI will be hosting my annual Flu/Pneumonia Shot & Senior Clinic on Thursday, September 28 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Quinn Hall at the Church of the Resurrection in Brookline.  American HealthCare Group will be providing free vaccinations to any senior with the Medicare Part B health insurance card.  Make sure to bring your card with you.  Light refreshments will be served.

I am also pleased that several organizations from around the region will be present to provide seniors with important information on available services and resources.  Organizations scheduled to participate include: ACCESS; Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging; Allegheny County Bar Association; Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy; OASIS; and the Office of the Consumer Advocate; with more to come. 

TreeVitalize Grants – Applications due today!

I want to remind everyone that the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) has announced that applications are being accepted for TreeVitalize grants to help restore tree cover across Pennsylvania and are due no later than 4 p.m. today.

TreeVitalizeThis year applications will be considered in three funding categories: tree planting; urban riparian buffers; or community forestry management.  One applicant can seek grants in all three categories, however, only one can be approved during each grant term.

TreePennsylvania, formerly Pennsylvania Urban & Community Forestry Council, administers the statewide TreeVitalize grant program.  Funding is provided to communities to promote and develop sustainable urban forestry programs within Pennsylvania.

Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. via email to Development and Grants Coordinator Jessica Cavey, c-jcavey@pa.gov.  To apply for a grant or to learn more about the application process please visit https://treepennsylvania.org/.

Funded through DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry grants and municipal, private agency and company involvement, and overseen by the PA Urban and Community Forestry Council, TreeVitalize is dependent on community support to increase tree canopies across the state, and educate and engage citizens in the care and selection of these new trees.

TreePennsylvania is a state-wide, non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing the growing forests throughout Pennsylvania’s urban landscape.

Did You Know…

Did you know that about 134 native and 62 introduced tree species grow across Pennsylvania?

Upcoming APPRISE Lunch & Learn

Immunizations apprise The next APPRISE/Allegheny Link Lunch & Learn event is scheduled for this Thursday, August 17 at the Human Services Building, located at 1 Smithfield Street in downtown Pittsburgh.  Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. – noon with the program beginning at noon.

APPRISE is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for Pennsylvania’s Medicare beneficiaries.  The Pennsylvania Department of Aging created APPRISE to help citizens with Medicare understand their health insurance options so they can make informed decisions about which plan is best for them.

The topic for the August 17 Lunch & Learn is “Enrolling in the Medicare and Social Security Systems.”  This presentation examines the rules governing enrollment into Medicare and Social Security and how to use these rules to create an effective benefit strategy.

Anyone interested in attending should R.S.V.P. to Bill McKendree at mckendreew@fswp.org or 412-661-1670, ext. 645.

McKees Rocks Feastival

McKees Rocks FeastivalThe 5th annual McKees Rocks Feastival is scheduled for Saturday, August 26 in McKees Rocks from 3 – 9 p.m. A creation of the McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation (MRCDC), this annual end of summer party has music, food, food trucks, clothing vendors, beer, artisans, the Ohio Valley Hospital Kid Zone and much more.

The event is free with online general admission registration, or a $5 donation at the gate.  VIP tickets for individuals 21 and over can also be purchased.

For more information on the McKees Rocks Feastival, please visit them online at www.pghfeastival.com.

Fontana Fact

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail is celebrating its 80th birthday this month.  The Trail runs approximately 2,190 miles from Maine all the way to Georgia, passing through 14 states, including Pennsylvania which has the third most number of miles on the trail at about 230. Virginia with about 550 miles and Maine with about 280 miles are the only states with more.

Offices of State Senator Wayne D. Fontana

Brookline District
932 Brookline Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15226
Phone: 412-344-2551
Weekdays – 9 am – 5 pm
Harrisburg
543 Main Capitol | Box 203042
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: 717-787-5300
Fax: 717-772-5484
Weekdays – 8:30 am – 5 pm
Kennedy Township
Kenmawr Plaza
524 Pine Hollow Road
Kennedy Twp, PA 15136
Phone: 412-331-1208
Weekdays – 10 am – 4 pm
Beechview Satellite
1660 Broadway Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15216
By Appointment
Northside (Mobile Office)
Carnegie Library | Allegheny Branch
1230 Federal Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
By Appointment
McKees Rocks Feastival TreeVitalize