Magic of Mentoring

The Place: PPG Paints Arena, Uptown on Thursday night.

The Purpose: To honor the Pittsburgh Penguins’ David Morehouse and Travis Williams with the 2017 Thieman Award during The Magic of Mentoring benefit event. The 2017 Excellence in Mentoring Program Award went to West Greene School District Peer Mentoring program.

The Party: More than 1,000 guests filled the covered ice rink for the party, which featured photos in front of the Stanley Cup Championship banner. A VIP reception for the the honorees also was attended by Art Rooney II, who presented the award later in the evening. WTAE-TV’s Sally Wiggin welcomed everyone after they had a chance to visit the food stations, bars and the silent auction located around the rink. The event raised $402,000 for mentoring programs in Western Pennsylvania. The Pirate’s Frank Coonelly was unable to be there with Mr. Rooney (both men were to present the awards). He was delivering supplies to Puerto Rico’s hurricane victims.

The People: Feeling the magic of the moment were event chairs Courtney Murray (with Colin) and Mary Murrin, board chair Chuck Davis with his wife Lisa, daughter Alexandra and son Trey, executive director Colleen Fedor, Donnell Scott, Carlo and Kelly Morgano, Bryan Stroh, Nicolina and P.J. Kelly, Christina O’Toole, Douglas MacPhail, Gail Burke, Chip Burke, Frederick Thieman, Jeff Mallory, Paul Wood, Frederick Massey, Nancy and Dick Zappala and Gregg Behr. —