“Help me! Help me!” A frail, defenseless woman in a white dress is tethered to a railroad track pleading for someone to save her. The tracks begin to quiver. Gentle “chugs” quickly increase their clarity. A whistle sounds. She turns her head to see a plume of smoke bellowing out of the smokestack of a train coming closer and closer....

Full Essay Here

LEECHBURG (KDKA) – On this day of giving thanks, a local high school volleyball team is thankful to have both of their coaches alive today.

Cancer may have slowed them down, but hasn’t stopped them.   CONTINUE READING HERE

To tell the tale on how Ellen and Jaime's cancer stories converge we have to go back a few years. Ellen had just been named the new Head Volleyball coach at Kiski Area. She was holding one of her first open gyms and Jaime came in to express interest in helping out as an assistant. Jaime was fresh out of college and hoping to get a job in the district teaching math. We didn't know Jaime at the time but we knew her story very well. We knew that Jaime had battled leukemia in High school and again while she was a student at St. Vincent. We may have questioned how much volleyball Jaime knew, but the bottom line was this. If anyone can teach our athletes about courage and perseverance, it was Jaime. Little did we know at that time that it would be Ellen and I who would need the lesson.

Exciting details to come about Jam the Gym 3. Tentative schedule and an exciting new "twist"! A long way off but the planning has begun! More details to come.


- Tim Toy