Community Corner

Joyful Twirlers Baton Ministry Entertains Throughout the East Suburbs

The Christian-based ministry began in Forest Hills and is led by two Verona and Oakmont residents.

When Gina Stropkaj of Verona heard about a group called the Joyful Twirlers, she was ecstatic.

"I couldn't believe there was a Christian organization doing something fun for girls," she said. "Baton twirling was something I did when I was younger, so I thought it would be something great that we could do together."

The group, a Christian-based baton ministry, has been in existence for 13 years. Founded by Jessica Nigra of Forest Hills, the group began meeting and practicing at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church.

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For the last two years, Stropkaj has been acting as the group's director, and Oakmont resident Loretta Worsham has been acting as the assistant director of the group. The ministry now meets and practices at Penn Hills Alliance Church, 7605 Saltsburg Road—right at the Plum Borough border.

Joyful Twirlers offers girls ages 3 to 16 the opportunity to learn baton twirling, perform in parades and complete service projects every month. Currently, there are 53 girls from the East suburbs—Plum, Oakmont Verona, Penn Hills, Forest Hills, Wilkins, Monroeville—in the group.

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"The girls learn about kindness, love, service, teamwork and self confidence," Stropjak said. It's not just a dance group. It's a ministry."

The cost is $20 per month during the season, which runs from September to July.

Fundraiser

The group will be holding a craft and vendor fair at Penn Hills Alliance Church on Saturday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to raise funds to scholarship five girls currently in foster care. The girls will participate during 2013-2014 season.

Worsham said the state has recently cut funding for extra-curricular activities for foster children.

"We hope to allow at least a handful of girls to participate in our ministry through the funds raised at this event," she said. "This would be a great outreach and opportunity for them."

2013-14 Season

Registration for this season is closed, but anyone interested in signing up for the 2013-14 season can put their name on a waiting list. For more information, call 412-759-7487. You also can visit the group's website and Facebook page.

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