Brackenridge Improvement Group making 'BIG' impression in the borough

Community pride is a big deal to lifelong Brackenridge resident Dino Lopreiato.

As president of the Brackenridge Improvement Group (BIG), the owner of Vibo’s Bakery often is spotted around town planting trees, pruning park flowers or spearheading fundraisers.

He’s not alone.

Lopreiato is backed by a core group of 15 volunteers who have planted nearly 70 trees and raised more than $50,000 to restore war monuments at the borough’s park along the Allegheny River.

“We all live here and we care about the community,” said Beth Edson, a 31-year resident who serves as the group’s treasurer.

“We want to motivate others to join and make the borough the best it can be.”

The group suffered a setback after the pandemic, when Lopreiato said people got comfortable staying home. It was difficult to get people out and about after two years in shut-down, he said. Membership struggled but appears to be growing again.

Established by resident Paul Valasek in 2013, volunteers started with smaller events such as park cleanups and riverbank plantings.

Efforts snowballed by 2019 into the group’s first major project, restoration of the “castle,” the 30-foot war monument best known as the scenic backdrop for prom pictures each spring.

The stone archway, inscribed with the words “Lest We Forget,” was built more than 80 years ago and was showing its age when BIG members stepped in to pay for a face-lift.

The blackened stone was cleaned, aggregate was added to create a formal foundation and brick was repointed.

“So many people look forward to taking their pictures here,” Edson said. “We want it to look its best.”

The cost was about $25,000, raised through private donations and fundraisers. Lopreiato, a Highlands graduate who serves on borough council, credited the Brackenridge American Legion for its generosity toward the project.

Not long after, BIG came through with a $15,000 restoration of the honor roll memorial that was vandalized with paint.

The bronze front, which weighs 1,000 pounds and bears the names of more than 1,100 borough veterans from both World Wars and the Korean War, was removed and refinished.

Nearly 70 trees have been planted by BIG through a partnership with Tree Pittsburgh, including blood red magnolias and Kwanzan cherry trees. The group has garnered donations from businesses such as Etna-based Forms+Surfaces, which gave the group four benches and 12 commercial garbage cans.

In February, members made more than 100 Valentine’s Day baskets for the elderly residents at Platinum Ridge Center for Rehabilitation & Healing in Brackenridge. The baskets were filled with games, snacks, well wishes and cards made by area children.

“They sent us pictures of the residents smiling and thanking us,” Loprieato said. “It was very rewarding.”

Next up, members plan to redo the Vietnam War monument at the park. The former fish pond is hemmed by moss-covered stone and lackluster foliage.

“We want to turn it into a flag park where all the branches of military will be spotlighted,” Lopreiato said.

The group plans fresh landscaping, walkways and benches for reflection.

The goal is to raise $50,000.

Edson said they also are eyeing a community orchard, potentially in a vacant lot off Stieren Avenue. Residents would be able to get their hands dirty maintaining the trees and then have their pick of fresh fruit.

“We started out by just wanting to make things look better,” Lopreiato said. “We’ve expanded to projects that encourage people to feel a sense of belonging.”

The group hopes to bring back the BIG Street Fair, a daylong festivity that fills Brackenridge Avenue with food trucks, musicians and entertainment such as belly dancers and Brazilian drummers.

“We haven’t done it since covid, but we want to see it return in 2025,” Edson said. “It’s a wonderful thing for the community.”

She invited residents to attend BIG meetings, which are held at 7 p.m. the last Monday of each month at the borough building.

Lopreiato said there are roles big and small for people to participate.

“Any volunteer work is noticeable here,” he said. “If you live in a big city, you might not notice it, but in the borough you can see the difference a small amount of people make.

“If we had a large group, it could be 10 times better.”