WHAT ’ S NEWS IN NORWIN
PITTSBURGH ATHLETES ‘ KICK ’ THEIR WAY TOWARD OLYMPIC DREAMS
The WAKO Junior World Kickboxing Championships , held in Budapest from Aug . 22 to Sept . 1 , saw record participation , with 68 countries and more than 3,000 entries . Two young local athletes , Xander Eddy ( 15 ) and Gabby Viola ( 14 ), made history by becoming the first world medalists from PA . Xander won silver in the -63kg Older Cadet division and bronze in the team event , while Gabby earned a bronze in the -50kg division .
Both train at Allegheny Shotokan Karate Dojo in North Huntingdon under the guidance of Sensei Bill Viola Jr . and Bill Viola Sr . The school has been serving the greater Pittsburgh region since 1969 under their supervision .
Joining Xander and Gabby in Budapest were 12-year-old Carter Griffith from Penn-Trafford and 16-year-old Riley Evans
of West Hempfield . Carter was able to advance to round # 3 after a win over a competitor from China but fell to the eventual gold medalist from Poland . Riley was eliminated in preliminary rounds by an opponent from Greece .
Xander and Gabby are members of WAKO Team USA , the only kickboxing organization with American Olympic Committee status , and aim to compete in the 2032 Olympics . The championship event ’ s opening ceremonies featured prominent international sports figures , and WAKO officials are hopeful for kickboxing ’ s inclusion in future Olympic Games .
Both athletes have been praised for their discipline and role model qualities , as they look forward to representing the U . S . in future competitions .
WE ’ VE SAVED YOU A SEAT …
For Pittsburgh ’ s 2024 Light Up Night on Saturday , Nov . 23 ! There is no better place to view fireworks than LeMont restaurant on Grandview Avenue , Mt . Washington , according to Keynotes of South Hills , so it has reserved a private dining room for a special event that night .
The evening will start with cocktails at 6 p . m ., followed by a sit-down dinner . See Zambelli rooftop fireworks after the 7 p . m . lighting of the Highmark Christmas tree , then the main fireworks display is scheduled for 9:38 p . m . Cost for the event is $ 100 per person .
This dining event is one of many fundraisers supporting Keynotes of South Hills ’ mission of awarding music scholarships to area students of exceptional talent . Each year more than $ 10,000 is awarded , with over $ 430,000 awarded since 1970 .
For more information on the event , contact Rose Liptak at rose . h . liptak @ gmail . com , Marlene Wohleber at mwohleber @ gmail . com or visit Keynotes ’ website at keynotesmusicscholarship . com .
KEYNOTES MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION 2025
Keynotes is accepting applications for its 2025 music scholarship competition , which will be held May 10 , 2025 , at the Fine Arts Theatre of Mt . Lebanon High School in the South Hills . Cash awards totaling more than $ 16,000 will be awarded . Requirements are :
• Instrumentalists must be under 26 years of age by June 1 , 2025 , and vocalists must be under the age of 30 .
• The student must be a full-time music major at a college , university or music school or a graduating high school
senior accepted for admission as a fulltime music major .
• Contestants must be current legal residents of Pennsylvania for one year , or if out of state , attending a school in PA and can provide proof of a Pennsylvania address ( e . g ., campus address , university mailings , apartment or utility bills ).
For an application , contact the scholarship chairman , Lori Walter , at 412.260.6972 or houdini5 @ hotmail . com . Online scholarship application is available at keynotesmusicscholarship . com . The deadline for application is April 30 , 2025 .
For further information , visit keynotesmusicscholarship . com or on Facebook at Keynotes Music Scholarship .
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