WHAT’ S NEWS IN WEST MIFFLIN
PHOTO FROM KENNYWOOD. COM.
KENNYWOOD AT CHRISTMAS!
Christmas is one of the most beautiful times of year to visit Kennywood. The entire park is bedecked in 3 million beautiful lights and there is special entertainment going on throughout the season.
Children will love meeting Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer along with his friends, and of course the guy in red will be there to greet all children. The park also claims to have the tallest Christmas tree in the state! There are festive foods, flavors and holiday drinks to enjoy. Be sure to visit the new Gingerbread Junction area, and there are 25 rides available.
To plan your holiday at this iconic park, visit kennywood. com.
PHOTO FROM CLOVERLEAFPANTRY. ORG.
FEEDING THE COMMUNITY
This can be a tough time of year for some families, especially since many workers are laid off in the winter months. The Cloverleaf Area Ecumenical Assistance program serves area families in need of food or other assistance. It operates out of the Triumph of the Holy Cross Parish, with many individuals, churches and synagogues participating.
The food pantry is located at the St. Elizabeth of Hungary school building, and distributes food every two weeks throughout the year, providing more than 120,000 lbs. of food annually. It is staffed entirely by volunteers.
If you are able to contribute to the mission of the pantry or to volunteer, visit cloverleafpantry. org for more information.
OPERATION TROOP APPRECIATION
We recently observed Veterans Day, remembering those who served our country. Operation Troop Appreciation helps our veterans and current servicemembers overseas and at home. Be sure to catch our IN Events page in this issue with photos from its new facility’ s grand opening!
Hairston as Henry Van Porter on The Amos‘ n’ Andy Show, 1951
DID YOU KNOW?
Composer Jester Hairston was born in North Carolina, but the famous songwriter grew up in Homestead, graduating from the local high school in 1921. Hairston wrote the beloved Christmas song“ Mary’ s Boy Child.” He also did the choral arrangement of“ Amen” for the 1963 film“ Lilies of the Field” starring Sidney Poitier. He dubbed the singing of Poitier in the film, who was actually tone deaf.
Hairston was also an actor and appeared in many movies and TV shows. In 1961, he was appointed by the State Department as a Goodwill Ambassador. He performed and taught folk and spiritual music across the globe in this role. Hairston was blessed with a knack for storytelling and comedy, which made his performances very engaging for audiences.
His final TV acting performance was on the popular CBS TV show“ Family Matters” in 1993. Hairston was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992. He died in 2000, and is interred in Inglewood, California.
“ Mary’ s Boy Child” has been covered by many artists, including a version by Harry Belafonte, which is available on YouTube.
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