Three fitness centers in the region donated 3,200 new and gently used children’s books to enhance reading and literacy through a charity founded by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch.
“It was a great donation, for sure. It will help provide books for our summer reading program and our Batch Pack program,” said Batch, who founded the Best of the Batch Foundation in Homestead in 1999. The Batch Pack program provides needy students with school supplies before the start of each school year,
The book donations are in line with the foundation’s mission, which provides year-round educational programming to more than 3,800 children across 22 school districts in Western Pennsylvania.
Planet Fitness centers in the Norwin Hills Shopping Center along Route 30, the Latrobe 30 Plaza in Unity and along Route 51 in Uniontown donated the books in March to the Best of the Batch Foundation, said Devin Onorato, Planet Fitness club manager in North Huntingdon. The Planet Fitness center in North Huntingdon had the highest number of donations — 1,600.
The three Planet Fitness centers initiated their own book drives, then partnered with West Mifflin High School to help donate them.
During the book donation ceremonies at West Mifflin High School in March, Onorato said he was proud of the gym members who quickly came together to support the initiative.
Retired Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Oretese “Otis” DiCerbo, the Air Force Junior ROTC instructor at West Mifflin High School, made arrangements with Batch for the donation.
“They offer mentoring to area youths, while promoting family, education, athletics, good morals and values and creating a foundation for success. The foundation promotes reading and literacy programs,” DiCerbo said.
Books also were donated to the Rainbow Kitchen Community Services in Homestead and Shared Blessings, nonprofit organizations in the Pittsburgh area.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.