Kiski Area officials are seeking supporters and donations from the community to help bolster the coffers of the Kiski Area Education Foundation.
Foundation president Ron Ferrara said the pandemic affected fundraising the past two years, resulting in a loss of about $25,000.
The foundation has only 16 volunteers, all serving on the KAEF board.
The Kiski Area Education Foundation is a nonprofit community organization founded in 2006 that raises money for numerous scholarships awarded to Kiski Area seniors continuing their postgraduate educations.
The foundation’s largest fundraiser, the annual Jeff McAfoose Golf Outing, was canceled last year and has been replaced with a downsized version of the event, scheduled for this year in August.
Past fundraisers have included donkey basketball, with teachers riding donkeys and shooting hoops, faculty members vs. Steelers competitions and concerts.
Ferrara listed three core committees that would benefit from volunteers: scholarship, fundraising and education opportunity grants.
“Whenever we have certain events, it would be nice to have help,” Ferrara said. “Everything we do is for the kids.”
Ferrara said the foundation’s discretionary spending balance typically hovers around $50,000, and now it’s at $35,000.
“Those events made us money, and now our coffers are at a minimum,” he said.
District employees donated about $2,500 last year.
“Right now, we don’t have a lot of money-making projects because of the pandemic,” Ferrara said.
Ferrara said that with only the trustees managing the foundation, he’s concerned about the lack of fundraising.
“It would diminish the quality of things, without the foundation covering some things that are not in teachers’ budgets,” said Ferrara, a 32-year veteran Apollo-Ridge teacher, coach and theater director.
Kiski Area community members, alumni or employees are invited to join the foundation.
Meetings are held bimonthly in the district’s central office in Allegheny Township.
Previous contributions made by the foundation include laptops for students, whiteboards, a laser printer, a new robotics program and various teacher grants.
The foundation was able to award six scholarships to seniors last year, three fewer than normal.
In a typical school year, about 14 individual teacher grants are awarded, but grants have been suspended the past two years.
To join, email KAEducationFoundation@kiskiarea.com.
Donations may be mailed to Kiski Area Education Foundation, 200 Poplar St., Vandergrift, PA 15690.
