CRANBERRY TWP — The Pritchard family received a heroes welcome to the opening ceremony of the Cranberry Community Uniting People weekend on Saturday.

The Cranberry CUP was founded in 2000 as a way to get neighborhood homeowners associations involved in a softball competition to raise money for charity. Since then, more than $1.5 million has been raised, with a golf outing and other events added.

This year, the event benefited David Pritchard and his family. Pritchard received a kidney transplant in 2006, and thereafter battled infections as well as tongue, tonsil and thyroid cancer. In May 2018, he was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure, and had to begin dialysis.

The family was escorted into the opening ceremony Saturday on a fire truck as participants and cheerleaders clapped and yelled for them. The family said they were beyond thankful for the help the weekend will provide.

Read the full story in Monday's Butler Eagle.