Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

By Kimberly Marcott Weinberg Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing Students from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford soaked up the sun this year in Miami during spring break, but they didn’t do it on the beach. Swapping bathing suits for construction hats to build houses for the Habitat for Humanity of Miami was on the agenda for these spring breakers. Eleven students from the Pitt-Bradford Habitat for Humanity club and about 40 students from Pitt-Johnstown decided to spend their breaks volunteering and serving the Miami community. Rachel Brune, a freshman sports medicine major from Philadelphia, said, “I wanted to do something other than lounge around at home, and what a better way to do that then to help out.” This was Brune’s first time participating in the Habitat for Humanity’s collegiate challenge. She decided to sign up for the alternative spring break trip because she said it was a good opportunity to get to know her fellow club members and give back si...

The United Way of the Bradford Area has awarded $6,560 to six local organizations through community innovations grant funding for the first quarter of 2013. The recipients are: the YWCA’s art program; CARE for Children’s pediatric therapy; McKean County Special Olympics aquatic program; Dickinson Mental Health holiday events; Bradford Ecumenical Home lending library; and McKean County Habitat for Humanity housing production. Local non-profit, 501(c)3, health and human service agencies may submit a request for up to $1,500 per quarter. This category supports programs, independent of those benefiting from monthly, that have the potential to impact the local community, encourage innovative approaches to meeting health and human service needs, and produce specific and measurable outcomes. The deadline for 2nd quarter Community Innovation grant applications is April 1, 2013. Applications may be received by visiting United Way’s website at www.uwbanews.org , the United Way office, or b...

The Case Collectors Reunion continues today on Owens Way, and several other events are also planned. The FOP craft & vendor fair starts at 10 a.m. at the Bradford Township Lions Club. It also includes demonstrations by area police and fire departments, a fly-in by a Stat MedEvac helicopter and the world famous Bradford Township Lions Club chicken barbecue. For more information and a schedule of events go to www.Facebook.com/1490wesb . The 15th annual Kids and Cancer Benefit Motorcycle Run starts at noon. Registration starts at 9:45 in the Zippo parking lot on Congress Street. One of the stops will be the Kinzua Sky Walk. This is the anniversary of the day a tornado knocked down the Kinzua Viaduct. After the run, a block party will be held on Mechanic Street, where the winner of the Harley of Hope will be announced. You don’t have to participate in the motorcycle run to attend the block party. Also today, Habitat for Humanity is hosting a spaghetti dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Fi...

The tents are up and W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. is ready for this year's Case Collectors Reunion. Frank Williams will be broadcasting live from Case on The Morning Buzz on Friday, and later on 100.1 The Hero. The Collectors Reunion is just one of many events in Bradford this weekend. Others include the CARE for Children Motorcycle Show, Kids and Cancer Benefit Motorcycle Run, William Hanley Sr. Lodge 67 FOP Vendor & Craft Fair, Habitat for Humanity Spaghetti Dinner and Lewis Run Fire Department Chicken Barbecue. For details: http://www.wesb.com/news/comcal/ The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Habitat for Humanity-McKean will host the first Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee and Conversation event from 7:00 to 9:00 am on Tuesday, April 24th. The Coffee and Conversation event will be held at the Habitat for Humanity house site, 47 Interstate Parkway, Bradford, PA. Coffee and Conversation is designed to be a morning alternative to the Chamber’s popular Business After Hours series. Like Business After Hours, Coffee and Conversation will give the business and professional community an opportunity to come together in a relaxed, social setting for networking. “Business After Hours draws a great crowd, but evening events don’t fit everyone’s schedule,” said BACC Executive Director, Ron Orris. “We’d like to offer the same great relaxed networking opportunities at a variety of times to accommodate even more members of the local business community. We’re hoping that many of our regular Business After Hours participants as well as some new faces will be able to join us on the 2...

Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit group that builds affordable housing for low-income families, has chartered a collegiate chapter at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. John Bevan, a senior criminal justice major from Wexford, is the president of the new chapter, which has been working with the Bradford Habitat for Humanity Chapter on its first home. The home is being built on Interstate Parkway, and Bevan said that students will be able to contribute more hours once interior finishing begins. Tonya Ackley, coordinator of community engagement at Pitt-Bradford, is the advisor for the club. “The Office of Community Engagement had a table at Club Night last year to see if there was interest in reactivating the club, and we got an overwhelming response from our students,” she said. “They were very supportive of the mission of Habitat for Humanity and were excited about the opportunity to go on alternative spring breaks.” More than 40 s...

Monday -- Habitat for Humanity Tuesday -- Ariel Campbell, Josh Hatcher and Panic Attack Wednesday -- Cast members from the Fretz Middle School Production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr." Thursday -- Pastor Mike McAvoy will talk about "The Simple Life" 12:30 p.m. on 1490 WESB and online at WESB.com

Valu Home Center in Bradford has raised nearly $4,000 for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. For the past couple of months, Valu has been running a promotion – to give away a 2009 Ford Focus – that would benefit the organization. In the past, Bradford's Valu raised about $2,000 that went to other Habitat chapters. This year, they raised $3,736. Habitat's first project will be building a house at 47 Interstate Parkway. They expect to break ground next spring.