Zelienople family donates $100,000 to benefit the community they love
The Hart family has set aside $100,000 of their own money to donate to community cuases via grants to entities in and around Zelienople.
Randy Hart said of the Randall Hart Family Community Enhancement Fund, $50,000 is earmarked for Harmony Fire District; $25,000 for teacher grants at Seneca Valley School District; and $25,000 for park and Main Street improvements in Zelienople borough.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Hart said, “so it came time to go big or go home.”
He said about $35,000 has been distributed so far, with the fire district receiving $22,000 and the Strand Theater $5,000, along with various smaller grants of $1,000.
Hart’s son, Justin, is assistant chief at the fire district and helps decide on equipment purchases made through the grant.
Regarding the Seneca Valley teacher grants, Hart approached Annie Mersing, development director for the Seneca Valley Foundation.
A news release from the district said the “Hart mini-grants” will see teachers apply for a one-time lump sum of $1,000 not from the foundation, but from a team of teachers Hart has put together.
Mini-grant funds can be used for classroom enhancements, projects and experiences that focus on outdoor enrichment, physical activity and “things that make students smile.”
“As an educator, I was provided with resources and support from the community, and I wanted to provide similar opportunities to our Seneca Valley community,” said Hart, a retired technical education teacher at the North Allegheny School District.
The mini-grants are made in memory of Jackie (Hart) Morris, the late daughter of Randy and Cynthia Hart.
Jackie was a 1998 Seneca Valley graduate who died in 2012 after a battle with cancer.
“I am extremely grateful for this contribution from the Hart family,” Mersing said. “I believe it speaks volumes to memorialize Jackie by inspiring and empowering others to make Seneca Valley a better place and ensure her legacy of kindness is celebrated.”
Forther connecting the family to the school district is the fact that the Seneca Valley secondary campus was the farm of Hart’s late grandfather.
“All members of my family are Seneca Valley graduates and we’re well prepared to excel in our individual areas serving the community,’ Hart said. ”Our grandchildren are presently being taught and mentored (there) by the best in the business.“
Hart recalls with no little emotion a Seneca Valley shop teacher named Ronald Reyer, whose influence lifted him from “the bottom of the barrel.”
“He pulled me out of the trash,” Hart said. “He gave me value.”
As an assistant principal at Seneca Valley, Reyer gave Hart various responsibilities to demonstrate to the lad his own leadership qualities.
Eventually, and thanks to Reyer’s influence and guidance, Hart was named the top student in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties by former state Rep. Frank Clark.
The $25,000 in grants for borough projects is a pursuit near and dear to Hart’s heart, as he has spent the last several years leading improvement projects on the Main Street where he grew up.
Hart initiated the Trail of Tin and Mile of Murals on Zelienople’s Main Street, restored the historical entry gate at Lutheran SeniorLife's Passavant Community, and is currently working to have the historical gate and bell tower at St. Stephen’s Academy — formerly the Zelienople Orphan’s Home — restored to their former condition.
Hart hopes more people his age who cherish their communities will initiate funding programs to support them.
