Coin drives in Bethel Park, Altoona benefit young patients

Joanne Klimovich Harrop | Wednesday, August 23, 2023 3:15 p.m.

Courtesy of Maria Rovers

Melissa (left) and Kenzie Kruise of Altoona pose for a photo with a picture of the late Kaylee Kruise during the check presentation at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in Lawrenceville on Aug. 22..

All those quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies added up to $11,061.

Every cent will benefit hospitalized children.

The cash was raised through coin drives held during May in the Bethel Park and Blair County school districts for the Sean Rovers and Kaylee Kruise Smiles Fund at UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Sean Rovers of Bethel Park and Kaylee Kruise of Altoona met at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh as they underwent treatment for brain cancer. The two shared the same December birthday.

Kaylee passed away in February 2021.

Several years ago, Sean and his mother, Maria, started Smiles From Sean, a nonprofit that aims to brighten the lives of ill children. After the loss of Kaylee, Maria Rovers reached out to Melissa Kruise, her mother, to help keep the girl’s memory alive.

For the Sean Rovers and Kaylee Kruise Smiles Fund to be operational it needed to raise $10,000, Maria said. They exceeded that goal through the coin drive, the fourth annual.

A check was presented to the foundation on Aug. 22 in the lobby of UPMC Children’s Hospital.

“It makes me feel good about myself, because I am helping someone else,” said Sean, 15, a Bethel Park High School sophomore and two-time cancer survivor. “We want to keep this going for the kids and families who need it. We want to remember Kaylee.”

There have been other check presentations from Smiles From Sean, but this one is different because it’s the first year for a newly established fund, said Maria Rovers. She met Melissa Kruise in the summer of 2018, and they formed a bond immediately, the mothers understanding what each one was going through.

“This is all so overwhelming,” Kruise said during the check presentation. “It is surreal. I am happy to help other families as a way to give back. I can never give back everything that was given to me and Kaylee and our family, but I can try. UPMC Children’s Hospital became a home away from home for us.”

The money raised will help provide incidentals for children and families receiving medical care at the hospital, with a focus on those who live in the Blair County area, where Kaylee Kruise attended school, and patients at UPMC Children’s South Fayette, where Sean Rovers has been treated.

“We are very fortunate to have the Smiles From Sean organization and families like the Rovers and Kruises fundraising in support of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh,” said the foundation in a statement. “With the new fund bearing the name of two UPMC Children’s patients, their legacy of giving back will continue for years to come.”

Maria Rovers said the response to the coin drive has been unbelievable. The drive was started based on the idea that every penny counts.

The Bethel Park money was raised with help of the Bethel Park Interact Club, an school-based organization that participates in fundraising and community service projects. The Interact Club is one of nearly 15,000 such Rotary-affiliated groups around the world providing leadership skills for students ages 12 to 18.

“I have known and worked with Maria for more than three years,” said Pam Tiano, the Bethel Park club’s Rotarian adviser. “Watching Smiles From Sean grow and adapt with our ever-changing society has been one of my greatest experiences. Sean Rovers is an inspiration, and his smile is heartwarming. I’m excited to see what are next chapter will be.”