PPG Paints’ Cranberry store donates to YMCA’s father-child program
Following several months of back and forth, PPG Paints’ Cranberry branch donated 55-gallon drums worth of paint toward the renovation of YMCA’s Camp Kon-O-Kwee, located outside of Zelienople in Fombell, Beaver County, which is a popular site for the organization’s Y Guides program.
Alfred Hanna, a software developer at PPG Paints, said the donation, in the form of paint and primer, is estimated to be worth close to $15,000. The paint was picked up from the store Monday, July 14.
“It took a while but we finally got a deal done. It was a very generous donation by PPG,” Hanna said.
For Hanna, who helped finalize the deal, the donation was an opportunity to give back to the Y Princess program. Hanna, who has three daughters that all have partaken in the Y Princess program, has been going to Camp Kon-O-Kwee for 12 years.
“It (camp) has been a big part of my life … good portion of my friends have come from that program. The girls’ friends have come from that program,” Hanna said.
As part of the Y Guides program, Hanna said that participating fathers and children get paired up and join “tribes,” which consist of 10 to 12 pairs. The Y Princess program specifically pairs up fathers and daughters.
Over the summer, tribes get together at Camp Kon-O-Kwee for about two weeks of camping activities like campfires and swimming, Hanna said.
Tom Bayley, a member of camp’s board, said that Kon-O-Kwee is a classic summer camp experience — no cellphones and televisions in sight.
“We just have a lot of great memories there,” said Bayley, who has been involved at the camp almost 10 years. “We watched our daughters grow up there.”
Bayley said that while the cabins are spacious and comfortable, they are unpainted, inside and out and need other improvements like fans for cooling and flooring. The projected cost of supplies and work altogether is a hefty one, which is why PPG’s donation was vital, Bayley said — the paint contributed will help relieve some of the burden of the expenses.
“The before and after photos are going to be great. I think it’s going be cool next year to walk into those cabins looking brand new,” Bayley said.
Andrew Kowalewski, associate vice president of marketing and communications at YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, said the donation was a major contribution for revitalizing the camp spaces and bringing back the camp spirit in time for the camp’s 100-year anniversary in 2026.
“We’re proud to partner with PPG Paints. They take good care of us,” Kowalewski said. “Everyone is really dedicated to that particular location so that’s why this donation is really going to help us revitalize those cabins for the kids ahead of the anniversary.”
