Posted on April 6, 2016 by The Dunmorean

Members of the Scranton Preparatory School baseball team take a break during their day of service with the Little Sisters of the Poor at Holy Family Residence, Scranton, to pose with a resident and the Little Sisters’ famous Pope Francis cutout. Kneeling, left to right: Noah Granet, Rob Pfleckl, Kevin Yanul, Jack Burke, Tyler Stafursky, Tommy Fitzpatrick, Jake Brady, and Dom Giacobbe. Standing, left to right: Bob Schulte, Holy Family Residence apartment resident; Noah Machek, Pat Belardi, Nate Fiala, Jordan White, Kyle Polishan, John Redman, Vince Cimini, and Kyler McAllister.

Members of the Scranton Preparatory School baseball team spent one day of their Easter break volunteering for the Little Sisters of the Poor at Holy Family Residence.

During their day of service, the players participated in activities with the residents and assisted the maintenance department with preparing the home for its Easter egg hunt on April 3. This preparation included setting up tables, raking and disposing of fallen leaves, and clearing debris from storm drains around the residence. The team’s efforts helped beautify the grounds surrounding the home and will provide a more enjoyable atmosphere for the people residing there.

The Little Sisters, who have been serving the elderly of Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1908, work closely with staff, volunteers, and benefactors to create a family spirit for the residents who make their home with them. They welcome the elderly who have limited funds and provide for their needs so they can thrive in an atmosphere of respect, dignity, and love.

Dunmoreans of the Month: Ferrario Dunmore brothers help start non profit group to give back to community

Posted on February 3, 2016 by The Dunmorean

Scranton Prep students and founders of OurDash are shown meeting with the president of Lackawanna College. From left are: Gokulan Gnanendran of Clarks Summit; Mark Volk, Lackawanna College president; Gerard and Thomas Ferrario of Dunmore.

By Steve Svetovich

Two Dunmore brothers and a close friend, all students at Scranton Prep, have started a nonprofit group to raise funds and give back to the community.

Gerard and Thomas Ferrario, sons of Jerry and Nadine Ferrario, Dunmore, and their close friend Gokulan Gnanendran, Clarks Summit, are the founders of OurDash.

The mission of OurDash, a group of high school students dedicated to the local community, is to generate funds for worthwhile causes in Northeast Pennsylvania.

“Our focus and emphasis,” said Gerard Ferrario, “is to raise money through innovative productivity and solutions that do not draw away contributions from existing charities, but rather create mechanisms to raise money that otherwise would not exist.

“With this in mind, our organization does not solicit monetary donations. However, we will accept them.”

Gerard Ferrario, founder and president, is a senior at Prep where his brother, Thomas, founder and vice president, is a junior.. Gokulan Gnanendran, Clarks Summit, is also a founder and aspires to study engineering in college. The Ferrario brothers aspire to study business and finance in college.

OurDash’s first event was to solicit several downtown businesses that were not using their parking during the weekend of La Festa Italiana to donate space for the weekend. The group of young volunteers charged for parking and were able to raise money which they donated to Scranton Counseling Center’s Holiday Program..

The latest venture of OurDash was to raise funds for scholarship programs at Lackawanna College.

“This is from a culmination of private donations which were non-solicited and our creative means of fundraising. We have raised enough to cover $40,000 in scholarships to Lackawanna College. Our goals are well defined in respect to the distribution of these funds. We want to help local high school kids to have the incentive to do well and stay in school. Our wish is to provide scholarships based on one’s improvement throughout their high school career. We are currently working with Lackawanna to finalize the program.”

Gerard Ferrario said the group raised funds by collecting used clothing. The group recycled some of the fabrics and sold some on eBay.

“We thank everyone who donated to us either through clothing, monetary, or other methods. We appreciate our volunteers.

“We have some goals for this year. We plan to generate more money for scholarships. However, we want to expand to other local colleges in addition to Lackawanna. We would like to work again with the Scranton Counseling Center. We would like to partner with other area charities this year.”

The Dunmore brothers and their Clarks Summit partner have a passion for finance and love of the community and volunteer work. OurDash is designed as a non profit helping other non profits.

The group has been in operation for two years now. “It started as a creative way to give back to the community. We just branched out from there.

“The Lackawanna College scholarship fund is to help provide scholarships to underprivileged students who are showing improvement in school. It serves as an incentive for the kids to go on and do well in higher education. Lackawanna College chooses the students who get the scholarships. The distributions will be in the coming months.”

Gerard Ferrario is involved with scholastic bowl, the business club and speech and drama at Scranton Prep. Thomas Ferrario is in the business club at Scranton Prep and enjoys Martial Arts in his spare time.

The web site for the group is www.ourdash.org.

Donato Entering Northeastern Chapter of Hall of Fame

Posted on September 2, 2015 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Anthony Donato is among a group of 10 individuals being inducted to the Northeastern chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

The elite 10 will be inducted during the 33rd annual Induction Ceremonial Sunday, Oct. 4, at 5 p.m. in the DeNaples Center at the University of Scranton. Donato is being inducted as a football and track coach.

At Dunmore High School, Donato was a UPI All-State wide-receiver in 1971. He was a Scranton Times All-Regional and All-Scholastic wide receiver. He was the Scranton Times athlete of the week for track and was the conference scoring champion in 1972. He earned a PA Conference championship at East Stroudsburg and was inducted into the East Stroudsburg University Hall of Fame in 2014.

He spent five years as an assistant football coach at Dunmore High School and 13 years at North Pocono High School. He led Abington Heights to its first Big 11 football title during his two years there as head coach. In his six years at North Pocono, he won both the Lackawanna League and Eastern Conference football titles.

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The other inductees include Ed Bugno, James Burock, Wayne Lydon, Heather Gallagher Raley, Kathleen Klein Prindle, Cal Urso, Greg Legg and Bob Gilbride. Scranton Times sports writer Marty Myers will receive the Service Award.

Ed Bugno is being inducted for football. The West Scranton graduate received the James “Hookey” Reap award twice. He was an All-Scholastic wide receiver in 1975 and was the first receiver in NEPA to be named first-team All-State receiver by the UPI and AP in 1975. Bungo was first-team All-Scholastic in football, baseball and basketball. He was PSAC All-Conference second-team in 1976 and 1977 and first-team in 1978 and 1979 as a wide receiver at Bloomsburg.

James Burock is going in for baseball. He was undefeated for three years with 21-0 record as a pitcher for Valley View High School. He was first-team All-State and All-Conference and Regional Player of the Year in 2000 and All Regional in 2000 and 2001. Burock was a Heisman finalist and four-year starter at Old Dominion where he was All-Conference 2002-05. He was ESPN Academic All-American, All-State Academic and was drafted by both the Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies.

Cal Urso is receiving the honor for his performance as a baseball coach. He played basketball for Throop High School where he was the Northern Division leading scorer in 1969. He was an All-Regional selection. Urso was baseball coach for 32 years at Mid Valley High a School where he recorded 321 wins and won three Lackawanna League titles, 10 Northern Division titles and three District 2 AA baseball titles.

Wayne Lydon is being recognized for his performance as a baseball, track and football star. He is one of the fastest athletes to ever come out of this area. He was All-State and All Regional and a defensive player of the year as a defensive back for Valley View High School in 1998. He was a district track winner in the 100 and 200 meters and state qualifier in the 200 meters. Lydon was drafted by the New York Mets in the ninth round in 1999. He made five all-star teams from A to AAA ball to the Independent League. He batted .263 and stole 595 bases in his 13-year minor league career. He was a part of three league title teams in the minors for the Mets. He was on the Mets 40-man roster two years and was called up once. His time with the Mets lasted one day as he was sent down when Cliff Floyd came off the disabled list. He stole 87 bases in 2002. That was one short of leading the entire minor leagues. Lydon was named Baseball America’s best base runner three times.

Greg Legg is going in for baseball. Legg played six years with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. He is the only player to have his number retired. He played parts of two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies compiling a .409 batting average during his short stays. He has been in the Phillies organization for 33 years, 13 as a player and 20 as a coach or manager. Legg has coached or managed at Lakewood, Reading and Allentown and currently manages the Clearwater Threshers. He holds a fundraising dinner each year in NEPA to raise scholarship funds for local athletes.

Heather Gallagher Raley earned her spot in the Hall of Fame for swimming. She was a record holder in seven of 10 events. She was a two-time district champion in the 100-meter freestyle and in 1999 won the District 2 title in the 100-meter butterfly. She earned a spot the PIAA states in 1998 and 1999. At Gettysburg, she was an All-American in 2001 and 2002. She holds the record in the 100 free and 400-meter medley relay and was captain as a senior. Raley was twice Academic All-American, six times Conference Centennial Academic Honor Roll and eight times Conference Centennial All-American selection.

Kathleen Klein Prindle will enter the hall as a coach and swimmer. She was a four-year letterman at Scranton Prep and was inspired by her grandmother Julie Holleran Igoe, a 1983 Hall inductee. She trained elite swimmers in 17 countries for the Olympic Games, USA Senior/Junior Nationals, Commonwealth Games and multiple International championships. She was three times a US Olympics Trials coach preparing eight athletes in 2008 Beijing games resulting in two Olympic winners. Prindle founded Learn-to-Swim programs in NEPA, Florida and New Jersey and made 11 straight state championship appearances as a South Florida high school swimming coach.

The late Bob Gilbride is being honored as a coach. He won 168 games, including five division titles and one Diocesan title, as basketball coach at Holy Rosary High School. He was five Lackawanna League Southern Division titles and 14 Lackawanna League divisional titles as basketball coach at Scranton Central High School where he compiled 481 wins. Gilbride won five Lackawanna League titles, nine Southern Division titles, 11 Class AA titles and two district titles as the baseball coach at Scranton Central. He won titles in parts of four decades from the 60’s through the 90’s.

Finally, Marty Myers spent 10 years as a sports reporter and editor for the Wayne Independent in Honesdale. He has been a sports reporter for the Scranton Times for over 20 years. He was inducted into the Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He received the PIAA District 2 McGladric Award for contributions to high school sports through journalism.

Tickets for the event are $40. Contact Bob Walsh at (570) 346-2228, Jerry Valonis at (570) 498-9461, or Alice Foley at (570) 346-5796. For advertisements, contact Tom Dougherty (570) 346-9991.