THE JESSIE GAMES Olympic-themed competitions, a dunk tank, carnival games, DJ dancing and a cookout are just some of the fun events at the Jessie Games, named for the late Jessie Egan Smith, a former Mt. Lebanon resident, who died suddenly in 2013 at age 23.

After a successful inaugural year, the Jessie Games are back, on Saturday, July 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Seton-LaSalle High School, 1000 McNeilly Road.

One of this year’s main attractions will be the Pittsburgh Pierogies: Sauerkraut Saul, Jalapeno Hannah and Cheese Chester. Bingo, a watermelon-eating contest and face-painting round out the day.

Smith, who loved sports, especially running, was a graduate of Seton-LaSalle. Her family organized the games to celebrate her competitive spirit, compassion for others and love for children.

Tickets are $15 each or $50 for a family, and include all food and activities. Children 16 and younger get a free T-shirt. Proceeds benefit Catholic Charities’ Summer Lunch and Enrichment Program for Children in the Susan Zubik Welcome Center downtown, which last year provided more than 1,100 hot meals to Pittsburgh youth. The Jessie Games raised $25,000 for the program last year.

For details and registration, go to www.thejessiegames.org or call 412-456-6950.

Rock Haven Lane resident Joseph David received the Philanthropy Award from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) this spring. The award, created 10 years ago, recognizes people who make an impact by serving others and giving to the school, its students, faculty, facilities or research.

David, who opened David Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, on Castle Shannon Boulevard, in 1994, established two scholarships for SHRS: The David Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center, Inc./Joseph M. David Endowed Scholarship, which provides tuition for students studying toward the doctor of physical therapy degree and the David Family Endowed Scholarship in the Department of Athletics, to benefit student athletes pursuing graduate degrees at the University.

While at Pitt, David earned a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, a bachelor’s degree in behavioral neuroscience and a master’s degree in orthopedic/sports physical therapy. He also earned a doctor of physical therapy degree from Temple.

He was a member of Pitt’s men’s basketball team from 1982 to 1986, and was captain in his final year. He was elected to the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Hall of Fame in 2015 and received numerous scholastic distinctions from the Big East Conference.

David has been head coach of the Mt. Lebanon High School boys basketball team since 2001. His son, Jon, will play basketball next year at the University of Kentucky. 

Gabriel Rosenberg, Mt. Lebanon Class of 2012, has been recognized by the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists with the Bob Eddy Award, a scholarship given to promising journalism students at Connecticut colleges and universities. Rosenberg, a junior at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, is editor-in-chief of The Wesleyan Argus, contributing editor of the campus blog Wesleying and project production assistant at Wesleyan’s Department of Communications. He is interning this summer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and is a recipient of the 2015 Lynch Family Endowed Internship Grant from Wesleyan University.

HELPING AT HOME If you see any one of several hundred people across Mt. Lebanon wearing purple T-shirts from July 11 through July 19, you’ll know you had your eye on Mission: Possible 8, a major service project of Mt. Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 255 Washington Road.

The “backyard mission trip,” as its parishioners call it, will provide everything from hard goods like school supplies for underprivileged children to entertainment at local nursing homes to much-needed home repair work in our neighborhoods.

The project was conceived in 2008 to be modeled after mission trips overseas, but with a focus on projects that need to be done here.

Since Mt. Lebanon is known as an affluent area, “many believe that there are no financial needs here,” says project organizer Noelle Conover. “We quickly found out that is not true and over the years have ministered to thousands of people through our outreach events and programs.”

Among other activities, volunteers will be helping at the food pantry at Brookline Presbyterian Church, visiting nursing homes, gardening, handing out coffee during morning rush all week from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the church’s drive-thru, prayer walking through local neighborhoods and conducting a blood drive.

The public is invited to several events, including a free picnic at the church Thursday, July 16 and a celebration outreach concert Friday, July 17 at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary to honor the community’s first responders. For questions, call 412-531-3387 or go to: mlupc.org.

BLUE DEVIL ATHLETES MOVE ON

Most high school athletes don’t go on to play in college. But 17 Blue Devils are taking their athletic careers to the next level.

From left, front row: Alexa Pavlick, Elon University, volleyball; Kellan Stout, Penn State University, wrestling; Ben Bruni, St. Francis University, football; Carina Barnes, Kenyon College, lacrosse.

Middle row: Scott Schultz, Mt. Aloysius College, baseball; Dante Dalesandro, Washington & Jefferson College, baseball; Dane Bendel, Duquesne University, tennis; Matt Lee, Swarthmore College, lacrosse; Brian Kelly, Mercer University, lacrosse.

Back row: Robert Klinclock, Shenandoah University, baseball; Jonny David, University of Kentucky, basketball; Antonio Viviano, Allegheny College, baseball; Austin Kitchen, Costal Carolina University, baseball; Patrick Ehland, Carnegie Mellon University, basketball; Sam Maxwell, Penn State University at Behrend, baseball; Shane Lefever, University of Dayton, football;  Matt Hoffman, University of Pennsylvania, football.

Temple Emanuel and Beth El are two of the synagogues featured in The Synagogues of Central and Western Pennsylvania: A Visual Journey. Historical researcher, genealogist and author Julian Preisler features roughly 230 vintage and present-day photographs of current and former synagogues. With locations spanning various Pittsburgh communities to Erie and Oil City, Preisler’s book is perfect for anyone interested in American Jewish history, synagogue architecture and general history. For more information about the book and the author, visit Preisler’s website, jpreisler.com.

Max King, Main Entrance Drive, achieved Eagle Scout rank for a project he designed and coordinated at the Senator John Heinz History Center. King, a member of Boy Scout Troop 65 at Sunset Hills Presbyterian Church, raised more than $5,000 to purchase two stair evacuation chairs, to be used to assist people with limited mobility down flights of stairs in case of a fire. King and scouts from his troop trained the security and events staff at the history center on the use of the chairs. King also worked with a fire safety expert to increase safety signage at the history center’s new building on Penn Avenue adjacent to the current building.

Do you have some big news? Send it to mjantz@mtlebanon.org.