Mon Valley Jeepers focus on fun and service
Courtesy of Mon Valley Jeepers
Mon Valley Jeepers member Thomas Bruce stands in front of his 1961 Willys CJ-3B at a club event.
Courtesy of Mon Valley Jeepers
Members of the Jeepers did a little off-roading during a multi-club event earlier this year.
The logo of the Mon Valley Jeepers
When a group of Mon Valley owners of iconic Jeep vehicles started getting together in 2008, they began talking about forming a group for Jeep enthusiasts.
Since then, the Mon Valley Jeepers has grown into an organization of roughly 154 members who focus on teaching safety, emergency assistance and helping others throughout their communities.
J.T. Anthony, an emergency medical technician/firefighter for Rostraver Central Fire Department and group administrator, said the club officially organized in 2015 but didn’t begin to promote until this year.
Anthony said the group participates in off-road events and car shows, and it also holds community emergency response team training.
“We’re just not a group of guys that goes off-roading on the weekends,” Anthony said.
He said because the administrators are all volunteer firefighters, they try to promote and support each other’s fire department events.
“We try to be multifaceted and branch out into many different locations, divisions and help out other organizations,” Anthony said.
The group is now organizing a Toys for Tots Stuff-A-Bus event on Dec. 9 and 10 to collect toys and gifts that will be distributed to those in need in the Mon Valley.
Tom Fronzaglio, Donora firefighter and president of the club, said the group mainly does light wheeling but also works with the four-wheeling group G.D.I. Jeepers (Guts, Determination, Independence Jeepers), with whom it has cross membership for those who are looking to go off-roading. The members include those with older and new Jeeps of all types, including CJs, Cherokees, Patriots, Wranglers, Grand Cherokees and Commanders. Any Jeep enthusiast is welcome to join.
Anthony said the Jeepers held a multi-club picnic at Palmer Park in Donora this year with It’s a JEEP thing!, G.D.I. Jeepers and Wicked Jeeps. Some of the G.D.I. Jeepers members taught a Jeep 101 course at the picnic that included instruction on off-road basics for beginners.
Fronzaglio said this course offered safety tips and taught Jeepers what type of equipment to carry with them. Anthony said the course also included the Tread Lightly Program that teaches Jeepers how to treat property where they are driving with respect and to “make it look like you were never there when you leave.”
Members try to meet once a month, alternating between Gil’s Cafe in South Park and Tradesman’s Inn in Scenery Hill, to include residents of Allegheny and Washington counties. Anthony said the club is currently exploring options for new meeting locations.
The club recently participated in the Veterans Day parade in downtown Pittsburgh, where they gained some new members. Fronzaglio said members carry business cards they use when they “spot” other Jeep owners and invite them to join the group. Those who are interested in joining the club can visit their Facebook group “mon valley jeepers” for more information. Fronzaglio said the club is comprised of people from all professions, ranging from bankers and accountants to firefighters and EMTs.
Fronzaglio said the group comes together whenever someone is in need.
“We’re like a big family,” he said.
A club member’s 9-month-old child was in the intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital recently for a respiratory problem so the group raised money for the family. Matt Stauffer, a Marianna firefighter and group administrator, also bought the child a big teddy bear.
When Fronzaglio brother’s house burned down this year, the group also raised money and gathered various items for the family.
“If anybody needs anything, we try to help,” Fronzaglio said.
The club also has a team of 16 trained volunteers who are part of the Mon Valley Jeep Emergency Response Team. Anthony said this group can assist when emergency vehicles can’t reach those in distress. Several members assisted with the search for a woman missing in Mt. Pleasant last month. He said the response team can serve as “another resource that the community can rely on in an emergency.”
Fronzaglio said this group is trained to assist first responders with various events such as natural disasters, winch rescues and traffic control.
More information on this team can be found on the Facebook group MV JERT (Mon Valley Jeep Emergency Response Team). Organizers are working on the 2018 schedule for a certification course for new participants.
The Mon Valley Jeepers first Toy for Tots Stuff-A-Bus event will be held in conjunction with Mid Mon Valley Transit and G.D.I. Jeepers. This event will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 9 and noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Mid Mon Valley Transit Donora garage, 72 E. Eighth St.
Fronzaglio said the group decided to hold its own event because “we had the idea to do it to keep it in our backyard to help the Mon Valley kids.”
“We want to give back to the residents in need in the Mon Valley,” Anthony added.