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By Charlotte Hopkins

At the November 12 council meeting for the City of Clairton, business partners, Jack Chottiner, Marc Mrvos, and Meighan Mrvos, of Clairton Beer donated $500 to be used for the Council's food drives.

Clairton Town Council accepted a donation of $500 from Clairton Beer to be used toward an upcoming food drive. Pictured (L to R): Mayor Rich Lattanzi, Councilman Tony Kurta, Clairton Beer owners Meighan Mrvos and Owner Jack Chottiner

Clairton Mayor, Rich Lattanzi, stated that they will use the money to raffle off hams at their annual children's Christmas party. The donation will allow them to purchase at least 30 hams.

“We are very appreciative of their gesture,” said Lattanzi. “We are happy to have a business like that in our town.”

Larry Bridges, founder of ‘Another Shoulder’, attended the meeting for a ringing of the bell ceremony. Bridges is a survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma Stage 2 that was compounded with a growth on his spine. When he completed chemotherapy and radiation he was able to ring the Survivor Bell. His former wife was also diagnosed with cancer at that time. However, her hospital did not have a bell. Upon learning that not all survivors are awarded that opportunity he started the nonprofit group, ‘Another Shoulder’. Bridges then embarked on an endeavor to meet with groups, churches, and organizations so that survivors of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and other serious medical conditions can also ring the Survivor Bell. To date, he has donated bells to 25 hospitals in Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, and Florida. Bridges has been featured on ‘Proud to be from Pittsburgh’ and won the ‘Hope Award’ from the City of McKeesport.

“I have this burning urge to just help. If it wasn't for my faith in God and for the people that loved me I wouldn't have survived. God put this armor on me” said Bridges.

At the November 12 council meeting, Mayor Rich Lattanzi and Councilwoman Lee Licish, both cancer survivors were granted the opportunity to ring Another Shoulder's traveling Survivor Bell. They will invite Bridges back in the spring and survivors in the community will be invited to ring the bell.

Organizations and churches interested in inviting Another Shoulder attend with their traveling bell can contact Larry Bridges on Facebook, or at anothershoulderllc@gmail.com. He also welcomes invitations from hospitals to have a bell donated for their patients. If you know of a hospital in need of a Survivor Bell, bridges can also be contacted at 412-385-2821.

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