Miracle on Main Street event generates $10,000 for Harmony Fire District
ZELIENOPLE — Months after the Miracle on Main Street event filled the borough with holiday cheer, the Zelienople community and its public safety personnel are reaping the benefits.
Officials from the Zelienople Area Business Association and Miracle on Main Street presented the Harmony Fire District with a check for $10,000 on Thursday afternoon, March 13.
“It feels fantastic to be able to give back to our community and keep the money right here,” said Miracle on Main Street Director Megan Murphy.
The funds are a culmination of donations from local businesses along Zelienople’s Main Street and around the Greater Pittsburgh Region.
“Honestly, a lot of the businesses that have been reaching out aren’t just main street merchants,” Murphy said. “They are larger places that are just willing to get involved and provide a night of free entertainment for the kids and give any extra funds back to our community charity of choice.”
While temperatures dropped well below freezing for the 8th annual edition of the Miracle on Main Street event on Dec. 5, it did little to deter families from patronizing local shops and sticking around for the Holiday Light Up Parade.
All of that spirited generosity led to the charity donation, which will enable Harmony Fire District officials to outfit one of their newest purchases — a side-by-side off-road vehicle.
Since it’s a heavy-duty model, firefighters are planning to equip the side-by-side with a reasonably sized water tank, a small pump and some hoses that can be used to put out smaller fires, according to Harmony Fire District president Kevin Behun.
“That check is likely enough to do 95% of what we want to do to get it in service,” he said. “We want it to be able to fight fires. We want it to be able to rescue patients or victims or whatever needs we have that are located away from the roadway. That money will likely help all of that happen.”
Harmony Fire District personnel began moving into their new location off Zelienople’s Main Street back in September.
While the relocation from Harmony made sense from an emergency response standpoint, it has also strengthened the department’s presence in the community.
“It’s an honor to see the community back us and prove our choices to be correct, with moving here to Main Street and seeing the community support immediately,” Behun said. “We know we get to enjoy being a part of the Zelienople Main Street traffic and the little ecosystem that they have down here.”
Anyone wishing to sponsor or participate in this year’s Miracle on Main Street event, can visit miracleonmainzelie.com or email info@miracleonmainzelie.com.
