Humanitarian Awards to honor Tree of Life Congregation, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and Tree of Life Congregation will be among the recipients of the fourth annual Dr. Cyril H. Wecht Western Pennsylvania Humanitarian Awards this weekend.

The awards ceremony, scheduled for 12-4 p.m. Saturday at Sugar and Smoke Southern Kitchen/Bar in Bloomfield, recognizes people and institutions whose impact extends beyond the Pittsburgh area, said Bill Neal, CEO and founder of Achieving Greatness Inc.

A committee, which started working on nominees in September, selected 14 honorees this year. They include Peduto, the Squirrel Hill synagogue attacked by a gunman on Oct. 27, former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Robin Cole and Joy Starzl, wife of noted organ transplant surgeon Dr. Thomas E. Starzl.

Neal said he met Wecht, the noted forensic pathologist, when he asked him to speak at the annual Willie Stargell MVP Awards several years ago. Wecht said he was honored to have his name associated with the new award.

“Bill deserves all the credit; he does all the work,” said Wecht, who will attend the ceremony.

Tickets are $50 for adults and $30 for children 12 and under. Call 412-628-4856 to purchase tickets. Proceeds benefit Achieving Greatness Inc., a nonprofit community service agency, and its Safe Summer Program for young people. Sugar and Smoke is located at 4428 Liberty Ave.

Stephen Huba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Stephen at 724-850-1280, shuba@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shuba_trib.