Women's Board of Pittsburgh benefits children across Alle-Kiski Valley with annual fundraiser

What began 30 years ago with a few friends hoping to improve the lives of local children has blossomed into an annual fundraiser that pulls in sometimes more than $100,000 to make tangible change.

The Women’s Board of Pittsburgh now comprises 70 members who work year-round to help children from New Kensington to Wilkinsburg and beyond with food, books, technology and recreation.

Board member Debbie Burke said that the traditional gem for a 30th anniversary — the pearl — “is the ideal image to celebrate local children and our efforts to support them,” as it also symbolizes purity and nurturing.

To mark the 30th anniversary, the club for the first time will host a hybrid fundraiser Jan. 27-28, with online and in-person celebrations.

Virtual activities include an online auction and a cooking demo by Paul O’Toole, executive chef of the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel. On Jan. 28, in-person festivities will shift from the traditional luncheon to a late-afternoon cocktail party starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Field Club and a runway fashion show by Carabella of Oakmont.

Also for the first time, the board will not reveal the beneficiary until after the event.

“Depending on specified needs, we may be able to provide funds to more than one group,” Burke said.

In its first year, the Women’s Board fundraiser brought in $1,200. That amount has grown to a total of more than $1.2 million.

In 2021, through a virtual fundraiser in the midst of the pandemic, the group brought in $90,000 that was shared between The Neighborhood Academy in Stanton Heights and the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

Beneficiaries always are chosen based on their mission to help children, Burke said.

Joanne Cecchi is co-founder of Project SEED, which provides weekend food in the New Ken-Arnold School District. She said the Women’s Board donation helped them divert time away from fundraising and into growing the program.

“We were able to reach out to other school districts in our area to help them establish similar programs for their children rather than having to pour all our time and effort into fundraising,” Cecchi said.

Leon Haynes, founding CEO of Hosanna House, said the 2019 donation to his group enabled 2,400 underserved children to attend a 14-acre outdoor facility to swim, play dek hockey, basketball, tennis, explore in an environmental classroom and participate in aviation classes.

Hosanna House is a multipurpose service organization providing services to over 35,000 people in Wilkinsburg.

The selection process each year reveals deserving and often underserved groups, board President Laurin Moore said.

Announcing the beneficiaries after the fundraiser will allow the group to potentially impact more children.

“This will allow us to further our mission of supporting a mix of both grassroots and more established organizations,” Moore said.

For tickets or to participate in the online auction, visit WBPgh2022.givesmart.com.