GetGo celebrates store opening near Jeannette, presents grants to 2 school districts
Nearly all of the 45 available parking spaces were full Wednesday afternoon as GetGo celebrated the grand opening of its 266th location along Route 30 in Hempfield.
Located at the intersection of Lewis Avenue, near the border of Jeannette, the 6,000-square-foot cafe and market employs 35. Offering made-to-order food, as well as convenience items and fuel, the store had a soft opening Sept. 9.
Formerly the site of a PNC Bank branch, the location offers accessibility from Route 30 and close proximity to customers in Hempfield and Jeannette, GetGo spokesman Dan Donovan said.
As part of the celebration, GetGo presented Hempfield Area and Jeannette high schools each with $5,000.
“There’s a strong, cohesive community here,” said Donovan. “Having kids within the Jeannette and Hempfield areas growing here, becoming leaders and giving back is something we hope we can help support.”
“We’re all one community,” Jeannette Superintendent Matt Jones agreed. He said his district’s nonprofit education foundation will apply the GetGo donation toward scholarships as well as academic and arts programs. He said the foundation helps cover tuition costs for high school students who enroll in college courses.
Principal Kathy Charlton said Hempfield Area High School plans to use its donation to buy kits for the school’s competitive robotics team and extra microphones for instructors who are doubling up on computers to team-teach virtual lessons during the covid-19 pandemic.
After accepting the donations, the neighboring districts provided entertainment, presenting a friendly battle between their respective marching band drumlines.
“Rarely do you see them at an event like this together,” Jones said.
Event runs through Saturday
The store’s grand opening celebration continues Thursday through Saturday.
Visitors can register from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day to win GetGo gift cards. The store will award $5,000 worth of the cards, with half that total going to one top prize winner.
Other nearby stand-alone GetGo markets are located in Delmont, New Stanton and North Versailles. A smaller GetGo outlet is associated with the Giant Eagle supermarket at the Hempfield Square plaza in Hempfield.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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