Why We Do What We Do!The charity portion of Great Friends is very meaningful to our group and it represents the foundation of our existence. The Great Friends board of directors determines which individual or group of individuals receive our charity award in a given year. To become eligible for our charity award the potential recipient must apply to our board of directors. A group member can also nominate a candidate. A letter must be written to our board describing the person's name and reason you believe this person deserves consideration. You also must have researched the person's disability and financial need along with the amount of charitable giving that will support your request. Please note that Great Friends is a 501C3 charity and as such our donations for our recipients must go to the provider of the service and not the individual recipient.
The following describes the type of charities offered by Great Friends:
Do you have someone you wish to nominate as a future recipient? Download this FORM and mail or email it back to have your nominee considered. RecipientsGreat Friends Charities has given thousands of dollars to people in need since our inception in 2001. At our annual event we celebrate the lives of our friends that have passed and the long-term friendships that bring us together through our common thread.
Throughout the year, the Board of Great Friends is always keeping their eyes and ears open for our fellow classmates and friends in need. In addition to financial support, we also give of our time when needed. 2023-2024 Recipients: Gary Myers (Class of 1972) Great Friends assisted with specific end of life costs for Gary. Mark Robinson (Class of 1975) Great Friends purchased an electric wheelchair for Mark. He currently resides in a long-term care facility due to a stroke. Sam DiBernardo (Class of 1974) Great Friends paid various bills for Sam which resulted from his previous kidney transplant. Tim Crone (Class of 1972) Great Friends has paid pharmacy costs as well as other costs associated with Tim residing in a nursing home due to a stroke. Jim Rossetti (Class of 1971) and Bonnie Rossetti - Great Friends has continued to pay various expenses for Jim and Bonnie as a result of Jim’s residing in a nursing home due to a stroke. Kelly Gribbin Scherer (Kelly’s dad is Tom Gribbin, Class of 1967 and Kelly’s Mom is Lucy Pizzuti Gribbin, Class of 1970) Great Friends paid for Kelly's medical procedure. Bruce T Sapp Memorial Scholarship Fund (Bruce Sapp, Class of 1978) Great Friends continues to donate to this Scholarship Fund in memory of Bruce Sapp. 2022-2023 Recipients: Tim Crone (Class of 1972) - Tim has had many health problems over the past couple of years and is currently in a nursing home. Great Friends has provided money to supplement his nursing home costs and pharmacy bills that are not covered by insurance or other programs. Melissa Trusilo Erickson (Father Jim Trusilo-Class of 1968, as well as aunts and uncles who graduated from Churchill) Great Friends paid several months’ COBRA insurance premiums for Melissa who underwent a double lung transplant due to complications from COVID. Sadly Melissa passed away last summer. Dianne Kooser Heidingsfelder (Class of 1968) Diane has been suffering from multiple autoimmune problems for many years, and as a result, has difficulty moving around her 3-story townhouse. Great Friends paid a portion of the cost for the purchase of a chairlift for her. Paul Myers (Father Bill Myers-Class of 1972 and Mother Mary Myers-Class of 1976) Great Friends assisted with funeral expenses for Paul who passed away suddenly with no insurance or assets. Lindsay Nikrandt Manns (Father Mark Nikrandt-Class of 1972 and Mother Leslie Piccolo Nikrandt-Class of 1971) Great Friends made a donation to the Melanoma Foundation of Pittsburgh in Memory of Lindsay, who passed away from Melanoma. Mary Rose Welsh Kemmerer (Class of 1973) Mary Rose recently lost her house in a fire, and Great Friends gave her gift cards to help with expenses relating to her loss. Joseph J Hornak (Joseph’s mother Wendy Hornak was a Churchill graduate.) Great Friends made a donation to the Pennsylvania School for Blind Children in memory of Joseph who was born with several health issues. Sadly, Joseph passed away. Jim Rossetti (Class of 1971) Great Friends continues to assist Jim and his wife Bonnie with various expenses, including home improvements and car expenses, resulting from his being in a long-term care facility for several years due to a stroke. 2021-2022 Recipients: Raymond Wolff (Raymond has several relatives who graduated from Churchill including his mother, two aunts and an uncle.) Great Friends has assisted with auto repairs for Raymond who has had ongoing health issues, including a kidney transplant and amputation of his right leg, which has resulted in serious financial struggles. Terry Frost (Class of 1972) Great Friends has assisted with rent payments for Terry who is currently battling Stage 3 cancer and is unable to work due to the effects of chemo and radiation. Erika Marie Hanley (Erika has several relatives who graduated from Churchill including her mother and aunts & uncles.) Erika recently passed away leaving three young children to be raised by their grandmother. Great Friends has assisted with expenses associated with her passing. 2020-2021 Recipients: Amy Petrick Schantz (Class of 1980). Great Friends assisted with health insurance premiums for Amy and her husband Lynn as he was battling cancer. Unfortunately, Lynn passed away very recently. Jim Rossetti (Class of 1971). Great Friends is continuing to assist Jim and his wife Bonnie with expenses resulting from his being in a nursing home for several years due to a stroke. Mary Pat Gribbin Hirschfield (CAHS Class of 1966) is battling cancer which has resulted in her needing some financial help. Great Friends has helped with the cost of her medicines that are not covered by Medicare, as well as assisting with other expenses associated with her illness. Austin Megahan (Austin has several relatives who graduated from Churchill, including his mother, uncle, grandfather and step-grandmother). Austin is recovering in the hospital from a very serious work-related accident, and Great Friends is assisting with some of his expenses as he recovers. Great Friends recently donated $1,000 to the Bruce T Sapp Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of Bruce Sapp, a Churchill graduate, who recently passed away. This scholarship is being managed by the Churchill/Wilkins Rotary, where Bruce was a past President and extremely active member for many years. This scholarship is to be awarded to a Woodland Hills graduate who plans to attend the Community College of Allegheny County. Sam Dibernardo continuing his need with Medical Bills 2019-2020 Recipients: We purchased a Portable Oxygen System for Ross Furfari (Class of 1971). This particular type of system was not covered by Medicare and enabled Ross to travel long distances for his cancer treatments without loss of quality oxygen. Kelly Carpenter Dominick (Class of 1980). Kelly’s daughter-in-law was battling 4th stage colon cancer, and she had to be monitored during her sleep or she could aspirate. Great Friends purchased a Queen dual controlled bed so that her husband could monitor her during her sleep. Dottie Majewski (Class of 1971) recently passed away after a long illness, and her family needed financial help with her burial expenses. Marsha Harris (Class of 1968) is battling cancer and severe pulmonary issues which have resulted in her needing financial help. Great Friends has helped with her rent costs and, due to her health issues, her teeth are extremely brittle and broken. We are in the process of assisting. Jim Rossetti (Class of 1971) and his wife Bonnie - Jim suffered a stroke several years ago and has been in a nursing home. Great Friends has helped them with catastrophic expenses that they both have incurred as a result of Jim's being in a long-term care facility. 2018-2019 recipients: Becky Bruener (Class of 1979). Becky suffered a stroke during surgery and has incurred expenses due to her loss of employment as a result of the damage from the stroke. Family of Maddox Duran (Grandson of Tracey Swackhammer (Class of 1983). Maddox was born with multiple health issues that often require the family to travel out of town for his medical procedures. We have donated to Food for Children-Christmas 2018, a charity through the Norwin Elks. 2016-2017 recipients: We donated money to the family of Mark Kearns (Class of 1972) to help offset expenses following the fatal automobile accident of his granddaughter, Kaitlyn Kearns. Great Friends has continually helped out over the years with expenses for Dave Cloonan, who became paralyzed several years ago. In addition to helping remodel his home to make it handicap accessible and purchasing a large television for him, we have continued to pay his cable bills. Dave recently was transferred to the VA Hospital.
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