Organizers prep Fish Rodeo for hospitalized veterans at Squaw Valley Park
Morningside VFW Post 3945 is preparing for its sixth annual Fish Rodeo where more than 125 hospitalized veterans will sink a line in the pond at Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara.
The event will be May 8, with veterans invited for a free day of fishing and a cookout.
“They really appreciate the day in the sun and time with VFW volunteers,” said John Santoriello, commander of the Morningside post.
VFW members stock the pond prior to the fishing event when patients are transported in from Veterans Affairs facilities across the region to the park along Fox Chapel Road.
Veterans receive medals for their catch, a bag full of socks and coupon books to use at the VA hospital stores.
“We like to send them off with items to make their life easier,” Santoriello said.
Anyone interested in donating can send a check to Post 3945, 1820 Morningside Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206. All donations will go toward hospitalized veterans, Santoriello said.
Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.