Category Archives: August 2023

Spirit of Hope celebration set for November 10th

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The Spirit of Hope Board of Ambassadors will honor Dr. Christopher A. Peters as the 2023 Tribute to Courage Honoree at their upcoming Spirit of Hope Celebration set for Friday, Nov. 10, at Mohegan Pennsylvania. 

The Board of Ambassadors is a group of individuals and business leaders in Northeast Pennsylvania who have come together to raise funds & awareness to fight cancer in the local community through their support and promotion of a gala event.

2023 Spirit of Hope Board of Ambassadors are, seated from left: JoAnn Romano Hallesky, Marta Gomes, Leo Vergnetti, Chairman of the Board of Ambassadors; Meghan Gagorik, Kristie Hynoski, Traci Fosnot, and Robin Long. 

Standing, same order: Joe Ferguson, Matt Beynon, John Heil, Vince Scarpetta, Dino Campitelli, Sonya Eddings, William Davis, Ed Cosgrove, Vito Pizzo, Nevin Gerber, and Steven J. Szydlowski, Ph.D.  Not pictured: Clarence Baltrusaitis, Thomas Blaskiewicz, Jim & Susan Brady, Trish & Nicholas Colangelo, Ph.D., Richard P. Conaboy, Jr., Thomas P. Cummings, Jr., Esq., Thomas P. Cummings, III, Esq., Tom DePietro, Julie Eisenman, Mary Erwine, Greg Gagorik, James T. Gorman, Jennifer Heil, Charles C. Jefferson, Angela Rempe Jones, John Mack, Linda Marino-Brooks, Joe Mattioli, Paul McGloin, Brian McQuestion, Evie Rafalko McNulty, Philip Medico, Dan Meuser, Chuck Morgan, Dana Morris, David J. Nape, Christopher A. Peters, M.D., John P. Rodgers, Esq., Tammy Saunders, Frank Sepko, P. Richard Scheller, Patrick Sicilio, Eugene D. Sperazza, Esq., Melissa Stites, Joseph S. Tomko, Joe Van Wie, Vanessa Vergnetti, and Chuck Volpe. 

YMCA after school program

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As another summer winds down and a new school year is on the horizon, the Greater Scranton YMCA wants to remind parents and caregivers that the Y’s after school program is a place where children can remain active and engaged during their time out of school – a critical time for all school-age children. Reasons your child should get involved with Y afterschool programming once school starts are: Physical activity, healthy eating habits, academics, arts, STEM, character building and safety standards.

The Y’s afterschool program helps fill gaps in schools and communities where some academic and recreational activities may be limited. Kids can improve their study habits and reading skills; gain exposure to the arts; find a love for STEM activities and much more.

The Y’s afterschool program combines learning with play. Each day, physical activity is provided, which is vital to the overall health and well-being of every child in our program. Some physical activities include pool time, outdoor play, gym time and more.

Teaching children the importance of nutrition and healthy eating is key to their success –both in and out of school. The Y’s afterschool program ensures that kids in our community are provided with healthy afterschool snacks when they are in our care and are taught healthy eating habits.

Kids in the  afterschool program at the Y demonstrate improvement in the values, skills, attitudes and behaviors needed for success in school and in life. Kids and teens can achieve, feel a sense of belonging and explore new interests.

It is vital that children have a safe, enriching environment for learning, both in and out of school. The Greater Scranton YMCA’s afterschool program upholds the highest level of safety standards.

For more information about the Greater Scranton YMCA’s Afterschool Program, contact Kevin Mellow, Afterschool and Summer Day Camp Director, at kmellow@gsymca.org.

Athlete of the Month: Nico Ruggiero

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By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore High School recent graduate Nico Ruggiero made the most of his athletic career.

Son of Vito and Christine Ruggiero, Dunmore, Nico excelled for four years in baseball, football and basketball at Dunmore. He was, simply put, a three-sport standout from beginning to end.

“I really didn’t have a favorite sport,” he said. “Whatever sport I was playing, well, that was my favorite. It depended on what season it was. When football started, I loved football and when basketball started I loved that. And I loved baseball when that season started. I conditioned myself for each sport.”

And for all of his dedication and accomplishments in the three sports during his senior year, Nico was named Dunmore High School athlete of the year. A captain on the baseball team, he batted .300, with five doubles, 12 RBIs and a 1.000 fielding percentage as a center fielder. He also excelled as a southpaw pitcher. He was the team pitcher of the year.

He was an All-State honorable mention football player as a running back for the Bucks. He was a stalwart safety on defense for Dunmore.

Scrappy on the hardwood, Nico, a starting point guard, was MVP on Dunmore’s basketball team.

The scholar-athlete finished his Dunmore academic career with an impressive 3.7 academic average. His best academic subject is statistics. He earned a 98 in statistics.

Down-to-earth and hard-working, Nico will attend West Chester University to study business management in the fall.

“I want to graduate college with that degree and get a very good job,” he said. “There should be a lot of jobs for that.”

Nico said he learned a lot from Dunmore veteran baseball coach Mike Hallinan. “He taught me to be respectful on and off the field and to focus on my goals.”

The three-sport standout has very high praise for Dunmore football coach Kevin McHale.

“I learned so much from Coach McHale,”  he said. “He taught me to always get up. When you get knocked down, always get right back up.”

Nico, 19, said his parents are his biggest supporters.

“They teach me to always be respectful. Never give up. If you put your mind to it, you can do it.”

He talked about what it takes to be a good pitcher in high school baseball. ‘You need to throw strikes. It doesn’t matter how fast you pitch, just learn to hit the corners and throw strikes.”

A smart athlete and a gamer, Nico likes listening to music in his spare time. He would like to see Lil’ Baby in concert.

He is looking forward to attending West Chester. “I’m not sure if I will play any sports there. I am thinking about playing baseball.”

Nico said he loved his academic and athletic experiences at Dunmore. “It was an overall great time,” he said. “I learned a lot and made great memories. I met a lot of great people.