Lauri Ann West Center celebration
Nearly 400 neighbors came to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Lauri Ann West Community Center during “The Center Shines On!” Friday night. The center in O’Hara also services Fox Chapel, Blawnox, Aspinwall and Sharpsburg.
Event chairs Amanda Carvelli,
Suzanne Alexander and Libby Ernharth were greeting and meeting many of guests.
“The thing about this event is it is multi-generational,” said Alexander.
The Scott Family Patio was tented and strung with fairy lights and tables were set up in front of the bandstand while inside more tables and food stations were arranged for easy access. Libations were available inside and out.
“I am so excited to be here,” said Ernharth. “For us to have a thriving community center for 40 years is just a treat.”
The community center was built on the site of the old Boyd Elementary School. Three local woman decided to turn the old school into a library and community center.
“My mom [Gretchen Montgomery] started the community center 40 years ago with Sue Golier, who passed away last year,” explained Carvelli.
“I went to school here when it was Boyd and when it closed a year or two later they got together to start this.”
Almost $100,000 was raised to support the Sue Golier Speaker Series, the Gretchen Montgomery Children’s Scholarship Fund and other programs.
“The center is such a beautiful facility in our community and is great at attracting people to this part of Pittsburgh because it is an anchor in this region, providing a real community atmosphere,” said Annie Engel.
Feeling that sense of
community were executive director Mark Rothert, Jane Siddons Herrmann, Bob Golier and his children, Kevin, Sarah and Melanie, Suzie and John Wean, Angela Kamin (chair of the first Celebrate the Center in 2007), Joanne Welsh, John Allison, Verne Koch, Mary Catherine Reljac, Sharon Drake, Bob Smith and Ginny Merchant.