Food trucks, health screenings and ax throwing mark O'Hara community center's anniversary

Health screenings, food trucks and ax throwing are among the highlights of “Celebrate the Center” week at Lauri Ann West Community Center in O’Hara, that kicked off Sunday.

Festivities include a dozen activities throughout the week that are aimed at inspiring and educating visitors. The center is marking its sixth anniversary at 1220 Powers Run Road.

“Because ‘Celebrate the Center’ is about celebrating the community, we wanted to put together a lineup of events that would be fun, educational and engaging,” Director of Development Jamie Rhoades said.

“This week is a way for us to thank our members and our community, and also bring people to the center who may never have been here.”

Among the activities are:

• Health screenings, 1 to 2 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Monday.

• Touch-A-Truck, 4 to 7 p.m. Monday. Meet Ranger the bloodhound from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office and explore fire engines from Pleasant Valley and Fox Chapel volunteer fire departments, a heavy rescue truck from Parkview VFD and the highway mower from O’Hara police.

• Food truck night with Haskel’s Delicatessen, 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

• Ace Mobile Ax Throwing, 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. There will be an enclosed, self-contained unit where trained experts run the activity.

• Whiskey tasting with McLaughlin Distillery, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

• Food truck night with Mr. Bulgogi Korean BBQ, 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

• Car cruise, 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

• Curbside dinners to go, 4 to 6 p.m. Friday. An alternative to the annual “Celebrate the Center” party, this is for people who might not feel comfortable attending in person.

• Covid-19 vaccine clinic, 4 to 6 p.m. Friday. This clinic will offer the Pfizer and the Johnson and Johnson vaccines. Walk-ins are welcome be registration is available here.

• Food truck night with Progression Bistro, 4 to 7 p.m. Friday

“We’ve put together a whole week of free activities so that there’s really something for everyone,” Rhoades said.

The finale will be the return of the in-person “Celebrate the Center” event from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, which was canceled last year because of the pandemic.

The event will be hosted outdoors and will be mindful of safety precautions.

“Food will be pre-portioned and passed by masked and gloved waitstaff,” Rhoades said. “While it will look different, it will still be a beautiful and fun evening.”

For more information, call 412-828-8566.