Inspirational family selected
CRANBERRY TWP — Jason Koliscak knows the Cranberry CUP exists to help families like his, but that’s not why the 38-year-old township resident decided to make his family the inspirational family for 2014.
The CUP, which stands for Community Uniting People, is in its 15th year and was created to bring together the community for the benefit of local families in need. It has raised more than $1 million for families since its inception in 2000.
A committee annually picks a main “inspirational family” for the Cranberry CUP, which features a softball tournament, golf outing, 5K race and a home run derby. This year’s CUP will take place from Aug. 1 to 3 in Community Park.
The Koliscak family in addition to Jason includes his wife Melanie, 38, and daughters Addison, 6, Alexis, 4, and Lanie, 3.
Doctors in 2005 diagnosed Jason Koliscak with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver condition, at the age of 29. That condition eventually led to inoperable bile duct cancer for Koliscak, who is undergoing chemotherapy, which will not cure his disease but could prolong his life.
For his part, Koliscak said he and his family jumped at the chance to be this year’s inspirational family, but not for reasons that are the most obvious.
“We wanted to make sure we had the opportunity to really help other families,” he said. “It wasn’t all about the Cranberry CUP just helping us. We can serve as inspiration and motivation for people to raise money for other families, and that’s a big part of why we’re willing and excited about it.”
Koliscak, who’s lived in Butler County since 2003 but moved to Cranberry Township in 2010, is an engineering manager for Mine Safety Appliances.
He called his medical situation a “long and arduous” process, but one that he continues to fight every day.
CUP organizers are still recruiting teams for the softball tournament, which usually has between 50 to 60 teams.
To register, contact CUP founder Cathy Cortazzo at softball@zoominternet.net.
