Press Releases
Kids' Chance of Pennsylvania Announces Tri-City Walk/Run Event
Pittsburgh, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Harrisburg, PA (July 24, 2014) -- Kids' Chance of Pennsylvania (KCPA) is proud to announce plans for their upcoming 2014 5K and 10K Walk/Run events scheduled for North Park, Pittsburgh on Saturday, September 27th; Fairmount Park, Philadelphia on Saturday, October 18th and City Island Park, Harrisburg on Sunday, October 19th.
The KCPA Walk/Run Program is in its seventh year and continues to grow, expanding to three cities in 2011 and raising over $100,000.00 in scholarship funds to date. In addition to serving as a fundraiser for this non-profit organization, the walk/run events serve to raise awareness of the Kids' Chance mission and how it supports our Pennsylvania communities. “This is a fun, family-friendly way for everyone to come out, get some exercise and support families in need, right in their own communities," shares Jen Carroll, Event Coordinator of the Philadelphia Walk/Run Event.
The mission of Kids' Chance of Pennsylvania is to provide scholarship grants for college and vocational education to children of Pennsylvania workers who have been killed or seriously injured in a work-related accident. Since its inception, Kids' Chance of Pennsylvania has awarded students over 577 scholarship grants totaling just over one million dollars.
Kids' Chance of Pennsylvania is just one of 27 state-level Kids' Chance organizations who share in the mission to assist these students, impacted by a workers' comp injury or death in their families, with their educational dreams. Through their combined efforts and with assistance from the national organization, Kids' Chance of America, more than 3,000 children have received over 8.9 million in scholarship dollars to-date.
John McTiernan, Kids' Chance of PA President, anticipates another successful year of walk/runs. “With incredible board support and the help of a very dedicated volunteer staff, our Walk/Run Program has helped Kids’ Chance of PA meet its scholarship goals while educating the public about the mission of Kids' Chance in the communities we serve. I'm looking forward to seeing increased participation in all three cities again this year.”
Each of the three walk/run events include a 5K walk, 5K run and a 10K run, and are open to all ages. Medals are awarded in the 5K and 10K runs to the top three male and three female runners overall, and also to the top three male and three female runners in each age group. The 5K run is open for the Corporate Team Challenge: teams of at least 5 runners may sign up to participate and the scores from each team's top five runners are combined to determine the winner. The team with the lowest combined score is awarded the perpetual Corporate Team Challenge trophy to display for one year. For more information or to register for the event, visit www.kidschanceofpa.org or call the Kids' Chance of Pennsylvania office at 610.850.0150.
Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania Announces Four New Board Members
Former Scholarship Recipient to Join Board
Pottstown, Pa. (July 31, 2013) -- Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania, Inc., a non-profit organization which provides scholarship grants for college and vocational education to children of Pennsylvania workers who have been killed or seriously injured in a work-related accident, recently named four new board members as well as an ex-officio board member who is a former scholarship recipient.
Zach Ashworth of Doylestown, Lloyd Brown of Malvern, Joshua Gray of Middletown and Frank Snyder of Dillsburg, have joined the 21-member board, commencing two-year terms. Amanda Speakman Katawczik, a three-year Kids’ Chance of PA (KCPA) scholarship recipient, was named ex-officio board member, and is the first scholarship recipient to serve on the KCPA board.
Mrs. Katawczik was a KCPA recipient for three years, following her father’s death as the result of a work-related accident. Amanda is from Bulger, PA and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003 with a BS in accounting. She is a licensed CPA, and currently serves as Director of Finance for 4Moms, a Pittsburgh-based juvenile products developer.
“We are thrilled expand our board membership to include not only these four dedicated volunteers who have a passion for helping workers and their families in our state, but to have Amanda join us brings a vital perspective to our leadership,” said Don McCarter, president of KCPA. “Amanda’s successes in college and through her professional life exemplify the value, and opportunity, that KCPA scholarships afford to families in our state. We hope that we can share her positive experience in the hopes that it will encourage more families and organizations to participate in our program,” said McCarter.
About the New Board Members
A 25-year investigative veteran, Lloyd Brown serves as the Marketing and Client Relations Specialist for the Insurance Defense Group, as well as lead Surveillance Group and SIU Liaison at Stumar Investigations. He has served as President of the Pennsylvania Claims Association, has provided testimony in local, state and federal courts, and also has spoken and lectured on investigations & surveillance for insurance carriers, third-party administrators and self-insured companies throughout the United States. Brown is a graduate of William Paterson University and resides in Malvern, PA.
Zachary Ashworth, a financial analyst for Excalibur Insurance Management. His areas of expertise include regulatory compliance, project management and financial management. He is licensed as a Commercial Insurance Producer in PA, and is currently studying for his Commercial Property and Casualty Underwriter designation. A graduate of University of Scranton, Zach resides in Doylestown, PA.
Joshua Gray is the managing partner in the Harrisburg office of Chartwell Law Firm, where he specializes in workers’ compensation law. He serves as workers’ compensation section chair of the Dauphin County Bar Association. Josh has been named a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Philadelphia Magazine, and is a frequent speaker on workers’ compensation topics throughout the state. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Vincent College and received his law degree from Ohio Northern University’s Pettit College of Law. Josh resides in Middletown, PA.
Frank Snyder has served as Secretary-Treasurer of the 850,000-member Pennsylvania AFL-CIO since 2010. He began his career at a steel mill in Western Pennsylvania, where he held several positions including Local Union President and Financial Secretary. Prior to joining the AFL-CIO in 1999, he was a local union leader in Beaver County for 18 years. Frank resides in Dillsburg.
Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania Surpasses $1,000,000 in Scholarship Awards for Children of Pennsylvania Workers
Unique Scholarship Program Targets Students in Need Due to Parents’ Catastrophic Work-Related Circumstances
Pottstown, Pa. (November 1, 2012) – Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania, Inc. recently announced that with the scholarships it awarded to students for the 2012-2013 academic year, it has surpassed the $1 million mark in total support since its inception in 1997. Kids’ Chance of PA, (www.kidschanceofpa.org), is a non-profit organization which provides scholarship grants for college and vocational education to children of Pennsylvania workers who have been killed or seriously injured in a work-related accident.
This milestone was met after 48 scholarships totaling $145,000 were awarded to students for the 2012-2013 academic year.
Since its inception in 1997, Kids' Chance of PA has awarded more than 500 scholarships to deserving students across the Commonwealth. Kids' Chance of PA, with the cooperation of its Scholar Sponsors and Corporate and Community Partners, also leveraged additional funds for state grants for the 2012-2013 recipients through the PHEAA/PATH Program. Annual scholarship awards have increased from $35,000 in the early years to $145,000 in 2012.
According to Kids’ Chance of PA President Don McCarter, “The hardships created by the death or serious disability of a parent often include financial ones, making it difficult for deserving young people to pursue their educational dreams. Kids’ Chance of PA provides assistance for a successful future to those who may have lost hope due to a parent’s injury. On behalf of the current and past board members as well as our Scholars and Partners, I am pleased to announce this milestone. All of the Kids' Chance of PA Board members are connected to the workers' compensation industry so to see that we have made an impact on those in need makes our volunteer time worthwhile!”
Board member John McTiernan, remarked, “Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania has grown dramatically over the last 15 years. This recent achievement is a reflection of the efforts of those individuals that have been associated with the organization since its inception. Through their dedication and generosity, Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania has been able to assist in the educational endeavors of Pennsylvania children who are most in need.”
How does Kids’ Chance of PA Work?
Kids’ Chance of PA is not a typical scholarship program. It does much more than just provide financial support. Because of the nature of the application process, often long-lasting relationships are built between the student, the family and the organization.
Potential candidates are typically recommended by guidance counselors, workers’ compensation claim attorneys, adjusters and nurse case managers.
During the application review process, each student is contacted personally in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the student’s story, family needs and educational goals.
Scholarship Committee members are responsible for maintaining contact with the student applicant/recipient and to the extent they feel comfortable, building relationships with these students and their families through the process. This outreach from Kids' Chance builds relationships that go far beyond just a scholarship check which is why we see repeat scholarship applicants and a number of family members all coming though the Kids' Chance scholarship program.
Kids’ Chance of PA is a non-profit organization founded in 1997 by professionals who had an affiliation with workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania, attorneys, brokers, underwriters, self-insurers, rehabilitation specialists and nurses interested in helping the young men and women experiencing difficult circumstances due to catastrophic work-related incidents. Kids’ Chance of PA is governed by an all-volunteer board and raises scholarship funds through donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, the United Way, annual fundraising events and various organizations that are active in workers’ compensation matters.