District Association's Follies raises money for projects from Harmar to Aspinwall and beyond

Fresh off the success of the Follies fundraiser, filled with jokes and jabs, the District Association of the Fox Chapel Area is eyeing ways it can use proceeds from the event to enhance life across the Lower Valley.

The Follies, a light-hearted, self-deprecating musical, raised more than $85,000.

“For a covid year, not bad,” District Association president Courtney Myhrum said.

All proceeds are funneled back into local neighborhoods to help with projects, such as the purchase of a dock for the Fox Chapel Crew Team at Allegheny RiverTrail Park, or the purchase of American flags to be erected near the Hulton Bridge in Harmar.

Myhrum quoted longtime District Association supporter, the late Melinda Beard, by saying, “The money goes where your tax dollars don’t!”

The nonprofit was renamed in recent years as a nod to the breadth of projects it supports.

“It supports much more than the borough of Fox Chapel,” Myhrum said.

Money is doled out to beautification and enhancement projects in Harmar, Indiana Township, Blawnox, Aspinwall, Sharpsburg and O’Hara, in addition to Fox Chapel.

Some past beneficiaries of the show include:

• Hulton Bridge project: $8,340 to help revitalize the bridge sign with paver stones and new benches.

• Hardie Valley Park: $10,000 to help Fox Chapel purchase the Old Mill property and extend walking trails from O’Hara to Indiana Township.

• Camp Guyasuta: $5,000 to help the Boy Scouts-owned site to rebuild bridges after flood damage.

The Follies, founded in 1979 to mark the 50th anniversary of the District Association, have brought in a lot of money by poking fun at life in the borough. There have been scripts about nightmare traffic along Route 28, Tiger Woods’ infamous pre-U.S. Open stay in 2007 and a spoof on reality TV called “Average-Joe Millionaire.”

After a five-year, partially covid-induced hiatus, this year’s song-and-dance skit was themed “Unmasked!”

The humor and parody songs were presented by local talent over two weekends in October at Pittsburgh Field Club.

“Act 1 was completely centered around the covid-19 pandemic and how it affected the borough,” director Jenna Bowman said. “The entire cast had been practicing since mid-August, poking fun at covid while we safely sang and danced together.”

Act 2, Bowman said, was a collection of some of the best songs from the past 20 years of shows.

She and scriptwriter Phil Beard collaborated with musical directors Bill and Sue Rossetti to choose the winners from more than 50 original songs that have been belted out over the past two decades.

“I had a blast directing and choreographing these ‘Chappies’ and hope the show brought joy and laughter to all,” Bowman said.

The two previous Follies, in 2016 and 2013, brought in more than $220,000 combined.

“The Follies is our main fundraiser,” Myhrum said. “The proceeds we make go directly back into the community so we rely heavily on this one event.”

The group also hosts an annual Trailmix social, but that was canceled by covid in 2020 and 2021. Money raised at the event is mostly from the Optimist Club, which donates all of the proceeds from a Ducky Race to the nonprofit.

Annual dues of $35 from the 450 or so members raise about $16,000, which also goes back into each neighborhood through enhancements.

“If every — or most — families in our district were to just belong to DA, we’d have much more money to give away,” Myhrum said. “It’s a win-win for the community.”

Membership applications, Follies DVDs and downloads are available at theda.org.