Kiski Area students collecting items to honor local police officers
Students from the Kiski Area School District and other Alle-Kiski schools, including Burrell, are collecting items to honor local police officers on National Thank a Police Officer Day.
The day of giving thanks to officers is a nationwide event and is always held on the third Saturday of September.
This year’s occasion falls on Sept. 17.
Organizer and volunteer Felicia Junod, 45, created a Facebook group, National Thank a Police Officer Day-AK Valley Team, six years ago, but she began her mission a decade ago.
Junod is the lead organizer for National Thank a Police Officer Day in the Alle-Kiski Valley.
Kiski Area East Primary School teacher and volunteer Shasta Biricocchi helps to collect donations on campus.
The public is invited to donate items by dropping them off at the four participating schools: Kiski Area Upper Elementary and East, North and South primary schools.
Requested items include mini notebooks, lip balm, pens, gum, Lifesavers, chocolate bars, homemade cards and hand sanitizer.
Collection boxes are set up on each campus. Students organize the supplies and help to pack them for delivery.
Junod said watching her grassroots project grow from a tiny outreach to a big organized effort over the past decade has been rewarding.
“My first year, I donated to 13 police departments,” Junod said.
This year, the AK Valley Team will present thank-you bags to 944 officers in 55 police departments in the Alle-Kiski Valley; Washington, Pa.; Penn Hills; Ross; Latrobe; Greensburg; and other Pittsburgh regions.
“We also give the K-9 treats. There are 23 K-9 dogs this year,” Junod said.
To date, Junod and her team of volunteers have donated nearly 4,000 thank-you bags to officers.
Junod grew up in Lower Burrell and graduated from Burrell High School in 1995.
Her husband hails from New Kensington, and the couple have lived in the Alle-Kiski Valley their entire lives.
New this year are additional volunteers from the Key Club at Kiski Area High School.
“It’s a good way for children to collect and give back. They get excited seeing the boxes fill up, and they know it’s for a good cause,” Biricocchi said.
Last year, Kiski Area collected enough items to fill more than 400 thank-you bags.
Brian Swartzlander, principal of Kiski Area Upper Elementary, praised the efforts of student council sponsor Katey Hummel, who spearheads the collection annually.
“The students are always excited to support our local police because they have such a presence in our district,” Swartzlander said.
Kiski Area employs two full-time police officers: Charity Hollis from Allegheny Township and Ken Hollis from Washington Township.
“It’s very common for police officers to visit the district periodically to support with safety drills and just to walk the buildings, get to know the students and building layouts,” Swartzlander said.
Police Officer Richard Stephens, 53, has 27 years of police service, the past two with Delmont.
He said the annual recognition from Junod and the team “means the world” to him.
“It’s awesome to see the community come together to show appreciation to the police officers. The time it takes for all of the volunteers involved to put this together is amazing and truly appreciated,” Stephens said. “It puts a big smile on my face. I also love the letters and thank-you cards we receive from the local schools and daycares.”
Students from area schools contributed handmade cards.
About 1,000 thank-you cards are distributed to officers, Junod said.
Other participating schools collecting donations are Burrell School District’s Bonair and Stewart elementaries in Lower Burrell and Mary Queen of Apostles School in New Kensington.
Junod’s husband, Mark, has been a police officer for 22 years, serving the Allegheny Township Police Department for 17 years.
Their two children, Lily, 15, and Andrew, 11, volunteer.
“As soon as they were old enough, they were helping,” Junod said.
Lily Junod, a Kiski Area High School student and Key Club member, helped to recruit her classmates as volunteers.
“This project has always been important to my family. My favorite part over the years has been delivering the bags and cards to the officers each year,” she said.
“My goal was for other people to thank their officers, and it has just snowballed since we started the Facebook page,” Felicia Junod said.
About 30 to 40 volunteers assist Junod each year.
Washington Township police Sgt. Jason Montgomery has served on the force for 21 years.
Montgomery is thankful for the annual gift.
“It’s gratifying to know so many people care and are willing to take time out of their own daily lives to honor and recognize the officers,” he said.
Greensburg Trooper Keith Sobecki has patrolled for 12 years with the Pennsylvania State Police.
Sobecki, 43, said he appreciates the support from the public.
“It’s nice to have the community support and realize there’s still good people out there that support law enforcement,” he said.
“It’s amazing. The people that are willing to come back and help each year,” Junod said. “It makes me feel proud, and the job has changed a lot. Just for those officers to know there’s a strong community behind them that supports and appreciates them.”
Donations are being accepted through Sept. 13.
For more information, email ntapod.akvalley@gmail.com.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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