Cranberry Volunteers Recognized For Service

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA- Donating time and service to their community, a number of volunteers keep the township's parks and recreation programs and athletic associations running smoothly. Cranberry supervisors recently recognized six of them as 2019 Volunteer of the Year recipients.

Those recognized include:

• Joe DeCristoforo for 22 years as scheduler for the Cranberry Township Athletic Association baseball and softball leagues. As the program has grown, the demand for scheduling and changes has only gotten more complicated. DeCristoforo has been there for that growth, watching his daughters and now his granddaughter go through the softball program.

• Seth Murray for his service as a coach for the Seneca Valley Soccer Association (Youth Athletic Volunteer of the Year). A high school and college player himself, he single-handedly began a summer training program that is offered free of charge to SVSA players, with hundreds participating.

• Dave Bacher for more than nine years as treasurer of Seneca Valley Junior Football and Cheerleading. Though he’s also served as a coach for t-ball, soccer, baseball and basketball, his biggest contribution has been overseeing finances for the organization and making sure it operates smoothly.

• Mark VandeWater for more than nine years as a coach for the Seneca Valley Lacrosse Association. He began as an assistant coach for his son’s teams, and since then has done everything from painting the field to introducing players to the organization’s “Fall Ball” program.

• Arron Morrow for 15 years as a referee for the Parks and Recreation basketball leagues. He stepped in when there was a dire need for volunteer referees, and has helped the program grow, even serving as a “fill-in” coach at times.

• Dan Kramer for six years as coach in the Parks and Recreation’s dek hockey league. He was one of the first volunteers to come on board as a coach and has since helped create a plan to evaluate players and ensure competitive balance.