President's Challenge 5K Run/Walk/Wheel
On Saturday, April 22, 2006, the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association held its sixth annual President’s Challenge 5K Run/Walk/Wheel Race. This event was originally the idea of former WPTLA President and current Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge, Beth A. Lazzara. Since its inception, the goal of the President’s Challenge has been to give back to our community by donating the proceeds of the race to a worthy charity, as well as to attempt to bolster the public’s perception of trial lawyers throughout Western Pennsylvania. As in past years, the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers, a local non-profit organization which supports programs for the physically challenged, was chosen as the recipient of the proceeds from the race.
Pictured above: members of the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers For the past five years, Jason Matzus has chaired this event and done an excellent job. Under his tenure as the President’s Challenge Race Chair, Jason not only was responsible for organizing this event, he also helped to raise over $78,000.00 for the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers. Although he decided to step down as Race Chair this year, Jason has continued to remain active with the planning and preparation of the race.
Pictured above clockwise from L to R: The Honorable Beth A. Lazzara; Lucia Lazzara-Goodrich; Tim Riley, WPTLA President; Jason Matzus, WPTLA Secretary; Chris Miller, 5K Race Chair; Bob Eyler, Pittsburgh Steelwheelers Treasurer. This was the first year that Chris Miller, of Edgar Snyder & Associates, chaired the President’s Challenge 5K Race. Although the weather did not cooperate as it has in past years, there were over two hundred participants in this year’s event. At the event, a raffle was held to help raise additional proceeds for the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers, and various door prizes were given away. It was a fun and energetic morning for everyone who participated.
This year’s event raised $21,000.00, which was presented to the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers on the evening of the Judiciary Dinner on May 5, 2006. The proceeds will be used by them to purchase equipment for their members, pay entrance fees for various competitions, cover travel expenses and be put towards their ongoing fundraising efforts to build a state-of-the-art training facility for athletes with disabilities. Over the course of the past six years, WPTLA’s total contribution to the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers has reached $99,000.00.
Pictured above from L to R: Chris Miller, WPTLA Race Chair; Dan Barry, Pittsburgh Steelwheelers Board Member; Bob Eyler, Pittsburgh Steelwheelers Treasurer. Chris Miller and the WPTLA would like to personally thank several people for helping to make this year’s event a success. Without the assistance of Jason Matzus, Tom Will, Dave Zimmaro, Amy Kubisiak, Jim Moyles, Scott Bitar, George Kontos, Laurie Lacher, Maria Fischer and Bob and Lorraine Eyler, this year’s event would not have been nearly as successful as it was. Thank you to everyone who participated in the race, as well as the members of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association who, as always, donated generously to this year’s event. Next year, the seventh annual WPTLA President’s Challenge Race will be held on April 14, 2007. Please plan on attending next year’s event, and consider donating to this worthy cause.
Register for the 2010 race now! For more information about the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers, visit their website at www.steelwheelers.org. |
