Déjà vu: StepTrek huge success

A message of thanks to our Trekkers, volunteers, and sponsors from the South Side Slopes Association President, Brian Oswald:

brian-shark

The first Saturday of October is fast becoming a favorite of people both near and far as they make their annual pilgrimage to the South Side Slopes. This year we welcomed over 700 people that enjoyed gorgeous 80+ degree weather as they sweated out the their boredom with cookie cutter neighborhoods and suburbs as they climbed the steeps of the slopes. In our most financially successful trek in the 13 years of its existence we expanded our signature event to include an orienteering course thanks to the Western Pennsylvania Orienteering Club and Alexis Rzewski, as well as having mobile maps for smart phone users. The expanded StepTrek Marketplace welcomed both food trucks and fashion trucks to create a great atmosphere among the music, volunteers, and trekkers. The PPG Zoo and Aquarium even got in the fun this year with a chalk artist and Shark mascot. This event is defying the theme of this year’s event of “what goes up must come down” as we grow to entertain and work out a consistent crowd of enthusiasts falling in love with what our neighborhood has to offer year after year. The successes of the past few years are going to allow us to even further expand this event in the years to come as the financial gains increase our ability to promote the event to an even wider audience.

If you’d like to know the exact revenues and attendance of this year’s event come join us at our general meeting on Tuesday October 15 at the St. Paul of the Cross Monastery Retreat center at 7 PM.

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StepTrek 2013

Join us on October 5th for an “Urban Hike” through one of Pittsburgh’s most unique neighborhoods, the South Side Slopes.

In its 13th year, some new things are in store for the Pittsburgh StepTrek which begins Saturday, Oct. 5 at 11am at South Side Park (Josephine & 21st Streets) on the South Side.

The Trek itself is self-guided. The course narrative in the program book points out the landmarks and gives a history of the stairs and buildings, counts the steps (approximately 2,700) and also provides instruction as to the route.

Click here for advanced tickets.

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StepTrek is Saturday!

Last chance to buy tickets at the advanced price is today! Save $3! (Children under 12 are always free!)

Click here to Buy Tickets!

Never been to StepTrek before? It’s a great way to get outside and explore a gem of a neighborhood in Pittsburgh – the South Side Slopes. The South Side Slopes has the most sets of stairs of any neighborhood in the city (and probably the world) and this is an opportunity to take 1 (or 2) self-guided tours up and down the steps visiting historic sites in the neighborhood and enjoying spectacular views of Downtown and Oakland.

But don’t just trust us:

Post-Gazette http://blogs.post-gazette.com/news/city-walkabout/39238-she-discovered-her-study-city-by-steps

http://franklinchen.com/blog/2013/09/25/why-you-should-go-out-to-the-pittsburgh-south-side-slopes-step-trek/

Come hungry! There will be 4 food trucks in the staging area to give you energy to climb those stairs!

Advanced tickets are only $12 (including the booklet with map, water, and fresh fruit). All proceeds benefit the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association. Tickets will be available at the event for $15. Children under 12 are free.

Click here to Buy Tickets!

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Give to South Side Slopes on Pittsburgh’s Day of Giving

 Make October 3rd a Day of GIVING to the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association!

Day of Giving

The annual Day of Giving is just around the corner…October 3rd!  Please mark your calendar and make a donation on that day if possible.

What?
Each year, the Pittsburgh Foundation offers this special opportunity to make donations go further!

This year’s matching pool is $750,000 and all participating charities (within Allegheny County) will receive a portion of that amount with each donation made.

Why?
Donations to South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association help further our work towards making the South Side Slopes a more livable, beautiful and safe community !

  • Improving trails and access to South Side Park
  • Working to keep South Side Slopes Steps Maintained
  • Upkeep on the 80 plus plot community garden at Bandi Schaum Field
  • Efforts to keep the neighborhood clean and litter free
  • and much much more!

How?
It’s easy!

  • Log on to Pittsburgh Gives.org on Thursday, October 3, 2013 starting at Midnight
  • Click on Day of Giving
  • Click on Donate Now
  • Complete the personal information on the donor form and choose South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association from the drop down menu
  • Enter your credit card information and click Submit

Meanwhile, please keep in mind that there is a minimum donation of $25 and that ONLY Visa and Mastercard donations made on October 3rd will qualify for the Day of Giving match.

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StepTrek Clean-up

We are deep into preparations for StepTrek that is coming up quickly on Saturday 10/5/13. We have some final trash pick ups and removal of overgrowth to get done before showing off our neighborhood. We will be meeting at Welsh Way at the bottom of the steps (top of the road) at 9:30 AM this Saturday. Hope to see you there!

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Paper Streets of Pittsburgh

Last year Harvard Graduate student, Anna Cawrse, received a Penny White Grant to study the paper streets of Pittsburgh. She came to visit our city, walked StepTrek, and had a great time. Click here to read her thoughts: Paper Streets of Pittsburgh

Come to StepTrek this October 5 to see for yourself how the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association is improving the neighborhood ‘one step at a time.’

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Election of Board of Directors

At our Tuesday October 15 General Meeting we will have an election of new members for our Board of Directors.

Mark Zalenchak and Fr. Donald Ware are stepping down from the Board. We thank them for their efforts and energies spent in service to our neighborhood.

Two slopes members have been nominated thus far for the Board: Cara Jette and Dawn Lorincy. The current Officers of the Board have unanimously approved of their nomination. (See By Laws, Article VI, Section 5.) Any others wanting to be considered must contact Brian Oswald, Board President.

Voting Members of SSSNA are eligible to vote at the October Meeting. Voting Members must be eighteen years old or older and have attended at least two General Meetings this past year. (See By Laws, Article IV, Section 1.)

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Oakley Steps Rail Painting

Oakley Street Steps

We will be painting the bottom section of Oakley Street Steps this Saturday starting at 10 AM. We have 10 dedicated students from Duquesne coming to join us. Hope to see yinz there n at… in paint clothes.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=oakley+way+and+josephine+st%2C+pittsburgh%2C+pa&hl=en&ll=40.423723%2C-79.968635&spn=0.001099%2C0.002309&sll=40.431368%2C-79.9805&sspn=0.140597%2C0.295601&hnear=Josephine+St+%26+Oakley+St%2C+Pittsburgh%2C+Allegheny%2C+Pennsylvania+15203&t=m&z=19

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One month till Step Trek!

Step Trek is Saturday, October 5, 2013.

IMG_6504

The Step Trek committee is busy cleaning up the routes along with help from the city and students from Duquesne University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Feel like helping clean up Jeux gonflables the neighborhood in advance of Step Trek? Email brian.oswald@southsideslopes.org

Want to join the fun? Buy Tickets!

Have questions? Check out our Event Description and FAQs.

See you soon!

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Cocktails for a Cause: South Side Park Fundraiser

Our fourth fundraiser for the South Side Park will take place at Acacia, South Side’s premier cocktail bar, on Tuesday, August 27th. Acacia has graciously offered their space and a generous percentage of their profits. All funds raised will go towards the signage of trails in the park and signs for the parks entrances to direct people into this great neighborhood amenity. Between Wigle Whiskey hosting us and Acacia the last two time, we have raised $970 for an entrance sign to the park near the Bandi Shaum Community Garden. Our estimated entrance sign cost is $1500 – 2000, so come and help out our park.

At 6pm there is the option of a guided tour into some of the park trails and we will throw in some steps for good measure – consider it a mini-StepTrek. The tour will take about an hour. We will meet outside of Acacia at 2108 E Carson and walk up 21st street to one of the entrances to the park. If interested in the hike, please RSVP Moss Clark at mossonthetrail@yahoo.com.

At 7pm the official fundraiser will start and will continue until 9pm. We will have delicious cocktails, a punch made specially for the evening, a beer special, a fantastic food truck, and possibly, just maybe some live music. Did we mention delicious cocktails?

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