Pool Opening, BBQ Kicks Off Summer

A wildly popular start to the pool season at the .

Members and guests packed Upper St. Clair's outdoor pool on Saturday and enjoyed a BBQ fundraiser during lunch, courtesy of Roadside Ribs. A quarter of the day's proceeds will benefit the Special Needs Active Programs (SNAP). The money funds programs for children with special needs at the CRC.

"I think it's great. It's a win for everyone. Members get some food that they otherwise wouldn't have had and the special needs programs will get money," said John Kosko, owner of Roadside Ribs.

There is no plan for another Roadside Ribs fundraising day at the pool, but many members said there should be.

"It's a great way to kick off the summer," said Chris Biswick, aquatics supervisor at the CRC. "I knew the weather would pull through."

Biswick said the sun popped through the clouds just ten minutes before opening.

"We're going to have a lot of fun this summer. Our staff is well trained. A lot of them are coming back for their third summer working here," said Biswick, who manages 80 lifeguards. He estimates 80 percent of the lifeguards live in Upper St. Clair.

USC resident Catherine Storie brought her daughter, Liz Debrowski, and two-year-old granddaughter, Grace Debrowski, to the pool's opening.

"This is a great pool," said Storie. "I think we were the first ones in."

"We are glad it's opened," Debrwoski said. "Who need Sandcastle?"

"This is like a Sandcastle for a two-year-old," said Storie. "We're having a great time and we'll probably be back tomorrow."

Travis Muti, of Mount Lebanon, brought his four-year-old daughter and one-year-old son to the pool for the first time.

"We're from New Jersey and didn't have anything like this," said Muti. "It's great for the kids."

The outdoor pool is scheduled to be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily for the rest of the summer. According to the CRC's website, the outdoor pool will close at 5 p.m. on Memorial Day.

Editor's Note: Roadside Ribs is the official manufacturer of Big Ben's BBQ Sauces and is based out of South Fayette. If you are interested in selling BBQ at your fundraising event, visit the Roadside Ribs website or the Big Ben's BBQ website.