Faces of the Valley: Ken Kaminski has volunteered his time in the Alle-Kiski Valley for nearly 50 years

Ken Kaminski has blazed a trail volunteering in nature, emergencies and fires across the Alle-Kiski Valley since he was 14.

Giving back to his community is a mainstay for the 63-year-old Allegheny Township resident.

Kaminski’s nature-loving mission involves volunteering as president of the Roaring Run Watershed Association in Kiski Township.

The watershed association, formed in 1983 as a nonprofit environmental preservation organization, owns and maintains 653 acres that began with only 1.5 miles of trail.

Kaminski has served as president of the watershed association for the past five years.

The Parks Township native joined the Parks Township Volunteer Fire Department when he was 14. He joined Lower Kiski Ambulance when he was 16.

As a student at Kiski Area High School, Kaminski enrolled in evening classes to earn his emergency medical technician certification.

“I started to volunteer when I was young because I enjoyed it,” Kaminski said. “I had seen a lot of things growing up in the fire and ambulance department. Some of these things will never leave my memory.”

He has volunteered with the Oklahoma Borough Ambulance; held secretary, treasurer and lieutenant positions with Kiski Township Volunteer Fire Department; has been an engineer with Lower Kiski Ambulance; and served as an emergency management coordinator.

“Being a part of helping my community in these ways have been, and are, very rewarding,” Kaminski said. “I’m very proud of these and the crew and people I get to work with and meet with at RRWA.”

Two of the most popular trails are the Roaring Run Trail and the Rock Furnace Trail.

Kaminski retired from working in the plant protection department after 36 years at ATI Allegheny Ludlum in Vandergrift and Bagdad.

After a short time raising horses, Kaminski began running half- and full marathons. He trained along the Roaring Run Watershed.

He met board members along the trail, and they asked him to volunteer.

Kaminski started the Earth Day Dash and then the Race to the Moon, a night run.

Serving as director of the Race to the Moon, held on the Roaring Run Watershed Trail, is one of his favorite volunteering moments.

“It’s a different type of race since it’s on the trail after dark. It’s the only one in our area that is marked by luminaries, and you must have light to see,” Kaminski said. “Being on the trail at night near the river is a different feeling since the trail is closed after dark — and there’s no other lighting than the luminaries.”

Kaminski said seeing the public enjoy the trail’s natural beauty and its facilities is rewarding.

“The board I get to work with is the greatest. Everyone has their own little talent to pitch in,” Kaminski said. “I’ve always said it and I still do: They make me look good, and we could not achieve the accomplishments and improvements of the last few years without the teamwork and drive by all.”

Volunteer Ron Hags said Kaminski is the glue that holds the watershed association together.

“He makes it a real cohesive group. It’s Ken’s personality — he’s a giving person,” Hags said. “We do a lot of work with little thanks, so to speak. This is a volunteer organization. Ken takes the good and the bad.”

Tim Troup began volunteering four years ago with the watershed association and is a Pennsylvania forest steward.

“I attended a few meetings, and everyone is just a great bunch of good guys. I consider them all friends. We really don’t know how many volunteer hours Ken puts in because he does so much on the computer, too, not just on the trail,” Troup said.

Kaminski’s proudest accomplishment?

“I’m most proud of being a father and granddad to nine grandchildren,” he said.

His biggest accomplishment involves his other half.

“None of these things could have been accomplished the last 24 years without my wife, Toni, helping and standing by me,” Kaminski said.