McCandless raffle offers memorable experience for youngsters, granting cool rides to school

Forget the bus.

These McCandless youngsters received more memorable morning rides to school Oct. 15 as part of the McCandless Adventure raffle.

Getting picked up by a McCandless police car on a recent Wednesday morning was the highlight of the week for Peebles Elementary student Austin Steiner, 11.

“He was very excited. He didn’t have a lot of questions, but he had a smile on his face the whole time,” said Lt. Eric Egli of the McCandless Police Department, who chauffeured the fifth grader to school that day.

The boy was one of a handful of North Allegheny students who were raffle winners in the McCandless Adventure contest held this summer.

Egli showed Austin the various operations of the police car, including how to use the lights and camera.

“I liked seeing how everything works. It was very comforting for me,” Austin said.

Each student was picked up from their home for a ride to school, including Claire Pakulski, and her friend Alison Magid, both seventh graders at Carson Middle School, for a ride on an Ingomar Volunteer Fire Company fire truck.

Both students entered their names, but it was Claire who won so she brought along her friend. Her dad was as excited as his 12-year-old daughter.

“Winning the ride was great. It’s fun and fantastic,” said Robert Pakulski, thanking the town departments, fire department and school.

“It’s community-minded. This is why we moved here. We’re loving it,” he said.

And what else could be better than a fire truck, according to Claire.

“It’s big and red, being dropped off at my school and asked, ‘Why is there a fire truck at my school?’ ” she said.

Robert Pakulski said they enjoyed Ingomar Chief Greg Quatchak giving a complete tour of the vehicle.

“It was pure joy,” said Claire’s dad.

In total agreement about fire trucks was McKnight Elementary student Benjamin Shepherd.

“Winning the fire truck couldn’t have happened to a better kid,” said his mom, Leandra Melensky.

Benjamin was picked up by a truck from the Highland Volunteer Fire Department.

“He was tickled pink. He has been super into fire trucks and firefighting for so long,” she said.

Not only that, but the Highland company happens to be the third grader’s favorite volunteer fire department, which he often visits. Melensky said Chief Ken Kinzel is an “amazing being” and credits the department for getting her son excited about firefighting.

“(Benjamin’s) counting the days until he’s 15 to join as a junior firefighter. He loves Highland,” she said.

Another McKnight student, first grader Madelyn Coulehan, also rolled up in a fire truck — this one from the Peebles District Volunteer Fire Company. Madelyn’s dad, Patrick, came along for the ride.

Jacob Dulick, a first grader at Peebles, rode alongside his dad, Jake, and paramedic Mark Pierson in an ambulance courtesy of the McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority.

Jacob, 6, said he liked the lights and the whole experience. His dad said they hope McCandless holds the contest again next year.

Hosack kindergartner Owen Burdwood, who got to ride in a McCandless Public Works dump truck, said it was the best day of his life.

“And I got to show my whole class how the dump truck bed lifts up,” said Owen, 5.

Students paid $1 per ticket or $5 for six to enter in the McCandless Adventure, with the money raised offsetting the cost of the McCandless175 celebration in 2026.

Tickets were sold during National Night Out in August through McCandless Community Day on Sept. 11, said Abby Lucostic, the town’s parks and recreation director.

“Today was fantastic. It was a lifetime, core memory made for the kids and their families. Special thanks to McCandless Police, Department of Public Works, MFPAA, Peebles, Ingomar and Highland fire volunteer fire departments and to the schools who were accommodating of a minor disruption in the drop-off line,” she said.

The raffle raised $102.

“We will absolutely do it again next summer,” Lucostic said.