11-year-old raises nearly $1,000 for MS
Published: March 22, 2006
Considered one of the guys, an honorary fireman of sorts, Josh Nypaver is proud to be part of the Uniontown Fire Department, and he’s even prouder that he’s been able to help the department raise money for the fight against multiple sclerosis.
The department is one 34 local organizations that takes part in the annual Ugliest Bartender Contest, sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The contest is also referred to as U.G.L.Y, which stands for understanding, generous, lovable, you.
Each organization raises money for the foundation during the month of March, competing to see who can raise the most. The Uniontown Volunteer Fire Department has been involved in the contest for four years, and they have one goal: They want to be able to say they raised $100,000 in four years.
Though he’s only 11 years old, Nypaver said he’s been involved in almost all of the department’s multiple sclerosis fund-raisers throughout the years. He’s done everything from camping out in a makeshift jail cell during the “Bail Your Hero Out of Jail” fund-raiser to serving and delivering meals during the annual Fish Fry.
Nypaver’s even dressed in dark clothing and gone out in the middle of the night to put decorated toilets in people’s yards, another popular fund-raiser where people pay $10 to have the toilets placed in the yards of their friends and family members as a joke.
“I only got caught once,” he said, smiling. “It’s a lot of fun.”
And though Nypaver is an average kid who likes to play basketball and hang out with friends, he’s also extremely driven, determined to help others. He already plans on attending firefighter training classes as soon as he’s old enough and says one day he’ll take over for his dad, Myron Nypaver, who is chief of the department.
“Josh tells his dad he can’t retire until he’s old enough to take over,” said Lisa Nypaver, adding that her son has wanted to become a firefighter for as long as she can remember.
But Lisa Nypaver doesn’t have to wait until her son becomes chief to be proud of him. She said she’s already “extremely proud” of him for all the work he’s done raising money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
This year, instead of merely taking part in the fund-raisers, Nypaver decided to hold his own at his school and ended up raising almost a $1,000 for the department’s multiple sclerosis fund.
Nypaver, who attends St. Mary School on Gilmore Street in Uniontown, approached his principal a few weeks ago and asked if he would be allowed to organize a dress-down day where students would bring monetary donations and be allowed to wear something other than their uniform to school.
His principal agreed and the dress-down day, held March 6, collected $794. Nypaver challenged the other Catholic schools in the area to have a dress-down day to see if they could gather even more money and All Saints School in Masontown agreed, raising $187. All in all, Nypaver collected $981.
Nypaver said he was happy to be able to raise that much money, especially for such a good cause, and thanked everyone who donated. He said he decided to hold his own fund-raiser, with the help of his mom, because he wanted to do something for Sue Sapp and all the others who have multiple sclerosis.
Sapp, who is president of the Uniontown Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago. The department got involved in the U.G.L.Y Bartender Contest not long after her diagnosis.
Chris DiNapoli, special events coordinator for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, said money raised during the contest helps the society fund research programs in addition to providing local programs and education opportunities.
DiNapoli said Fayette County competes with 12 other counties and said Fayette County has raised more money than any other county during the U.G.L.Y. Bartender Contest for the last three years, raising $199, 385 since 2002.
“We owe those organizations in Fayette County a lot of thanks,” he said.
DiNapoli said the Multiple Sclerosis Society hopes to gather $150,000 during this year’s southwestern Pennsylvania contest and said $98, 523 has been collected so far.
Out of all 13 counties, there are 248 organizations raising money. As of the second week of the U.G.L.Y. contest, DiNapoli said 116 teams had turned money in and said Fayette County has three organizations in the top five.
The Uniontown Volunteer Fire Department, according to second week results, is in first place, followed by Belmont Inn in second place and Darby’s Pub & Restaurant in third.
Four other Fayette County teams are in the top 50, DiNapoli said, those being American Legion Post 301 in Connellsville at 17th, Hennessey’s Tavern in Republic at 34th, The Mystic Inn in Republic at 36th and the Connellsville Eagle FOE No. 493 at 39th.
The Uniontown Volunteer Fire Department, according to Sapp, is only a couple thousand dollars away from reaching their goal of collecting $100,000 in four years.
Sapp said the money Nypaver raised on his own was extremely appreciated, and she said she’s confident the department will reach its goal, thanks in part to Nypaver.
“I’m very proud of him and very impressed with what he did,” she said.
Nypaver seems to take all the praise and compliments in stride. He’s content to hang out at the fire department and shoot hoops in the truck room whenever he’s not assisting the firefighters or participating in multiple sclerosis fund-raisers.
“I just like to help,” he said.
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: