McKeesport’s Kane Center to host annual Fun Walk

The Kane Foundation was formed to raise private funds to enhance the quality of life for residents at Kane Community Living Centers.

The Kane Foundation will host the 13th annual Joan Burns Fun Walk 4 Kane at the community living center in McKeesport Saturday to raise money for resident activities and outings.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., followed by the walk at 9:30 a.m. A picnic and basket auction will take place afterwards. The registration fee is $25; the first 100 people who sign up will receive a free T-shirt.

“It’s just a good time. A lot of smiling goes on that day, a lot of happiness from the beginning to the end,” said Janet Kulis, co-founder of the Kane McKeesport Family Council.

The walkers start at the community living center, stroll on down to the Palisades and return to the starting point.

The walk is one of the most anticipated yearly events for Kane residents.

“Kane residents love to participate in the walk,” Kulis said. “It is a social event for them where they get to see old friends and meet new people, which keeps them involved in the community.”

Kulis said the McKeesport area community’s participation in the walk has been a “true blessing” to the Kane residents over the years.

“I think there’s still a lot of good people in McKeesport and the McKeesport area, and they do a lot of good things,” she said. “And most of our walkers, our sponsors, the people who donate money and prizes are all from the McKeesport area. This is the 13th year for the walk, and they’re still doing it. So I just want to give a good shout out to all the good people in McKeesport.”

The Fun Walk 4 Kane was named in honor of Joan Burns, a co-founder who was involved with the first two iterations of the event before she passed away in 2013. Burns dedicated her life to teaching and advocating for the elderly.

Kulis misses her cousin, Burns, dearly.

“Although I lost her 11 years ago, every once in a while I’ll say, ‘Joan, why did you leave me? I need you to help me.’ But I think she is helping me,” Kulis said. “I really do, because sometimes ideas will come to me, and I’ll think, ‘Where did that come from?’” This time of year brings with it a mix of emotions for Kulis and her family.

“We’re always happy to have this walk for the residents because they enjoy it so much, and we raise funds for them to have a better quality of life, but it’s also sad because Joan’s not here,” she said.

This year’s walk is also dedicated to the memory of William “Bill” Lalonde, a Kane community outreach representative who passed away last month after living with pancreatic cancer for more than three years.

“He was a wonderful man, I can tell you that,” Kulis said.

In honor of Lalonde, this year’s commemorative walk T-shirts are purple, the color associated with pancreatic cancer awareness.

Lalonde sent an email to Kulis in July letting her know that he was preparing for the walk.

“He worked tirelessly to make sure that everything went right,” Kulis said. “He went to work everyday; he loved his job. He loved what he was doing, and it’s just sad that he had to get a disease like that. He was one tough dude. That’s what I always say. He was one tough dude.”