Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 September 2020 14:11

Traveling WWII Exhibit Helps to Raise Funds

We Can Do It! WWII - PAYING IT FORWARD - JOIN US!

The Donora Historical Society had a lot of goals with hosting the Heinz History Center’s travelling WWII Exhibit. Primarily, they were:

World War II Donation Group

To promote history, especially Donora history – we did that with our Donora veteran artifacts upstairs and downstairs of the library as well as at the Smog Museum with our overflow WWII display. We also had presentations every weekend.
To bring arts and culture to Donora – we did that with the Opening Night Reception and Fashion Tea that included live music and great food including a “Taste of Donora.”
To help veterans groups – our breakfast was cancelled, but we wanted to give donations (see below).
To help students – student groups visited the WWII Exhibit in Donora and we coordinated the Middle School assembly with Holocaust survivor Judah Samet.
To help our senior population – Residence At Hilltop visited the exhibit and we did a home front presentation for them.
To invite neighboring historical societies, living history participants and singers to participate.
To pay stipends to all of our presenters, something we couldn’t afford when we hosted the travelling Civil War Exhibit.
To give the Donora Library a donation for the use of the space – we did that too when we hosted the travelling Civil War Exhibit.
To hopefully raise money for the Donora Historical Society.

To that end, while some of our events were postponed due to the virus, we proceeded as we initially intended by distributing $2,800 in donations to Donora veterans groups, the Donora Public Library and the Donora Fire Department. Numerous corporate and foundation grants were written with the intention of not only raising money to host various events during the WWII Exhibit, but to also distribute donations to help our longstanding Donora institutions. In the Photo above right:

(Front L-R) Tom Delsandro (AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial), Flora Gibasiewicz (American Legion Auxiliary Unit 212),

Ron Janney (Donora Veterans Council), Rhys Taylor (Donora Fire Department)

(Back L-R) Mark Boyer (Donora Public Library), Terry Gnora (American Legion Post 212)

Most of the Donora organizations that we are supporting were also sidetracked due to the virus causing their fundraising efforts to be hampered. Won’t you please follow our lead by supporting the Donora organization(s) of your choice?

Ernest E. Jobes American Legion - Post 212 - $1,000

Chartered in 1921 and named after Donora’s first casualty of World War I - Ernest E. Jobes, the Donora American Legion organizes the Veterans’ Day Parade when held in Donora and places the flags and holds the services at three Donora cemeteries for Memorial Day.If you’d like to support Post 212, please send a check made to “Ernest E. Jobes American Legion Post 212” and send to:Ernest E. Jobes American Legion - Post 212, Attn: Terry Gnora, 513 Meldon Avenue,

Donora, PA 15033

Ernest E. Jobes American Legion Auxiliary - Unit 212 - $400

Chartered in 1935, the Donora American Legion Auxiliary is the group that supports the Donora American Legion, as well as other organizations like the Veterans Administration Hospital, Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, and Washington City Mission - Patriot House for homeless veterans. If you’d like to support the American Legion Auxiliary, please send a check made to “Ernest E. Jobes American Legion Auxiliary - Unit 212” to Ernest E. Jobes American Legion Auxiliary - Unit 212, Attn: Judy Kovalcik, 513 Meldon Avenue, Donora, PA 15033.

Donora Veterans Council - $250

Works in partnership with the Donora American Legion with organizing the Veterans’ Day Parade and Memorial Day services, and assumes the responsibility with the expense and labor in maintaining the Military Banner’s frames and brackets that hand throughout Donora. If you enjoy the military banners or have purchased one for your loved one and would like to help support this ongoing maintenance effort, please send a check made to “Donora Veterans Council” and send to: Ernest E. Jobes American Legion Post 212, Donora Veterans Council, Attn: Ron Janney, 513 Meldon Avenue,

Donora, PA 15033

AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial - $250

Albert P. Delsandro was born in Donora in 1917, graduated in 1935, worked for US Steel in Donora, served in WWII, worked for the United Steel Workers of America, and then served as Police Commissioner, Councilman, Burgess and finally, as Mayor of Donora for 22 years until 1977. The AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial was built in the mid-1980s to honor Al and those Donora veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice and is now going through renovations.If you have questions, contact Tom Delsandro at 724-272-6171 ortdelsandro@gmail.com. If you’d like to support the AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial, please send a check made to “A P Delsandro Memorial Fund” to:APD Memorial Fund, c/o Paul Delsandro, 21 Mary Ellen Street, Monongahela, PA 15063.

Donora Public Library - $800

If you enjoyed the Heinz History Center’s traveling “We Can Do It! WWII” exhibit and would like to help support this long standing Donora institution, please send a check made to the “Donora Public Library” to Donora Public Library, 510 Meldon Avenue, Donora, PA 15033.

Donora Fire Department - $100

The Donora Fire department is one of Donora’s oldest organizations since it was created shortly after the town was started in 1901. They were considered the “first responders” during the 1948 Smog rescue effort and maintain that diligence to this day.If you’d like to help support this long standing Donora institution with a donation, please send a check made to the “Donora Fire Company” to Donora Fire Company, P.O. Box 811, Donora, PA 15033.

If you’re inclined, please include a note that you were inspired by reading this article.

If you would like to support the Donora Historical Society for our ongoing efforts to bring history, arts and culture to our town and the Mid-Mon Valley, as well as to help fund future projects like the WWII Exhibit and support the Smog Museum, please send a check made to the “Donora Historical Society” to Donora Historical Society, P.O. Box 522, Donora, PA 15033.

ADDITIONAL INFO

If you have additional questions about the subjects mentioned above, the historical society, museum, presentations or possibly volunteering, feel free to stop by on Saturdays or by special appointment (with at least a week’s notice), email us at DonoraHistoricalSociety@gmail.com, call us at 724-823-0364 and leave a message, visit us on the web at www.DonoraHistoricalSociety.org, or follow us and Like Us on Facebook at “Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum.”