Former longtime Pittsburgh Penguins sportscaster Paul Steigerwald will lend his vocal talents to the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, as auctioneer at the organization’s upcoming Autumn Rhapsody fundraiser.
“We were working some of our connections and reached out to him,” said WSO Executive Director Endy Reindl. “He said, ‘I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before.’ We said, ‘You add color and excitement to the games; you can certainly do this.’ ”
Autumn Rhapsody will begin with cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Westmoreland Country Club near Export. The auction will follow dinner.
Among prizes Steigerwald will be hawking are a photo safari in South Africa and a stay at the Bahia Principe Grand Coba resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
“We’ve offered the safari for a few years,” Reindl said. “People who have gone always come back saying, ‘Oh my gosh, when can I go again?’ ”
Dinner menu choices are New York Strip steak and the country club’s signature jumbo lump crab cake.
Music will be provided by EBT Jazz, a local trio comprising leader and pianist Eric Barchiesi, bassist Dan Lauritzen and drummer Michael Matteo, who also is WSO principal percussionist and board president. The musicians will be joined by Rachael Tresco on vocals.
“For years we had a Spring Rhapsody, but this year we had the opportunity to kick off with a gala closer to our season opener (on Oct. 23 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg),” Reindl said.
It will be the symphony’s first large-scale, in-person fundraiser since the pandemic.
“We did our darnedest to carry on digitally through last year, but you lose something that way,” Reindl said. “If anything, this special event is one of those points of connection where you see old friends and new friends and enjoy yourself while making a difference for the community.”
Gala proceeds will “especially help with our community outreach, which is mostly digital right now,” Reindl said.
A gala ticket is $125. To purchase, call 724-837-1850 or visit westmorelandsymphony.org.
