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Good News: Dress it Up

Valley Pool & Spa contributes to several charities during the Halloween season

The Halloween season is a favorite time of year for many, and the staff at Valley Pool & Spa, with multiple locations in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, metro, is no exception. Which is why so much of the company’s community involvement seems to center around this costume laden holiday.

For starters, all Valley Pool & Spa stores are year-round drop-off locations for Closet Full of Class, a charity run by Kelly Ann Kunst, a special education teacher at Northgate High School in Bellevue, Pennsylvania. Four years ago, Kunst learned of two seniors who couldn’t attend their prom because they couldn’t afford dresses. Since then, Kunst has provided free prom dresses to several girls in the community through her organization.

This particular cause is close to heart for Kristin Poppa-Rosel, marketing director for Valley Pool & Spa, because she and her sister used to run a similar prom dress fundraiser where she previously lived. Poppa-Rosel reached out to Kunst to offer clothing racks from the Halloween store that Valley has each fall. The community now brings used prom dresses and suits to all Valley locations and Valley employees will be volunteering this year to help Kunst with the weekend boutique she offers.

“Outside of being a drop-off spot, Kristin has been an amazing helping hand as she has experience with dress drives,” Kunst says. “She is truly helping my once pipe-dream become a much bigger reality than I could have ever imagined.”

- Sponsor -
A child at a Beverly’s Birthdays celebration sponsored by Valley Pool & Spa.

Valley Pool & Spa also donates costumes from its Halloween store inventory each year to Beverly’s Birthdays, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that provides birthday parties for children experiencing homelessness and families in need. Since 2012, through six Birthday Cheer programs, Beverly’s Birthdays has recognized more than 30,000 birthdays.

“Beverly’s Birthdays truly appreciates the support of Valley Pool & Spa,” says Megan Yunn, executive director and founder. “The company has generously provided wonderful costumes for our children to receive on their birthday. Additionally, we have received monetary contributions in the form of event sponsorships to support our work. We love working with companies that believe in our mission and the importance of birthdays.”

Painter’s Haunted House, supported by Valley Pool & Spa and hosted annually by Monika Painter, assistant manager for Valley’s North Versailles store.

And what would the Halloween season be without a haunted house? Monika Painter, assistant manager of Valley’s North Versailles retail store, hosts Painter’s Haunted House for two weeks each Halloween season in a building located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, with proceeds benefiting a local family or charity. And, of course, with Painter being a Valley employee, a large portion of the staff either attends or gets involved. “Valley Pool & Spa has made a sizable donation each year of props, masks and costumes since I began working here in 2017,” Painter says. “Valley has been very gracious with allowing me the time off I need to prepare and help run the event. On top of that, we have had a large showing of employees who have supported us by attending the event and making personal donations. A few have even participated by volunteering as part of the scare team. I am grateful for all the support.”