Pittsburgh campers walk Roberto Clemente Bridge to promote unity in community

– Kaela Gunderson, WTAE, 7/29/26

"More than 150 summer campers from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh walked across the Roberto Clemente Bridge to PNC Park Wednesday, promoting the message "unity in community."

The campers carried signs and chanted the phrase, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and understanding.

Elena Kyriacopoulos, one of the participants, said, "We're going to be walking to symbolize community and unity, to like bring together people and make sure that they are all heard and listened to, and make sure that there's no like rude comments or racist slurs or like discrimination against other people."

Camp leaders said the walk was intended to take a stance against antisemitism, racism, and all forms of hate.

Annie Adams, another camper, added, "Everybody deserves a chance to speak and deserves a chance to tell what they feel."

The walk marked the conclusion of a weeks-long initiative inspired by the Grable Foundation, which focused on empathy and cross-cultural understanding.

Annamarie Casciato, associate director of quality for the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, said, "By being together today, we're showing that we are an inclusive city, an inclusive community. We're one place for everybody."

Before attending a Pirates game at PNC Park, the campers packed "blessing bags" containing socks, hygiene products, snacks, and inspirational messages for those in need.

Jason Rivers, a guest speaker and violence prevention manager for Pittsburgh Public Schools, spoke to the campers about the importance of anti-hate efforts and community strength. Rivers said he hoped to instill this in the campers: "What anti-hate looks like, what safety and wellness looks like, what we can do on the individual level, as well as what we can do collectively to create unity and how powerful and strong our community actually is.""