Sharpsburg cancer patient granted wish of seeing Pittsburgh Pirates play at PNC Park
Advertisement
Sharpsburg cancer patient granted wish of seeing Pittsburgh Pirates play at PNC Park
02:08
Advertisement
SHARPSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) – A little joy was brought to Larry Pilarski and his family Monday afternoon, thanks to the Twilight Wish Foundation and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pilarski, his wife, children and grandchildren were granted the wish to see the Pirates play this Sunday and sit right behind home plate at PNC Park.
Missy Counahan, the Allegheny County Chapter Director of the Twilight Wish Foundation, says that it is a privilege to grant wishes like this to deserving seniors like Pilarski.
“We get more than we give when we do these wishes,” said Counahan. “We do this because we love geriatrics and we have made geriatrics our life’s work, and it is just so important to give back to them.”
Pilarski and his wife Mary Frances have been married for over 40 years. She says that Larry has been battling cancer for over a decade, and this last year has been a difficult one. But, she says, that wishes like this are a true blessing when times are tough.
Advertisement
“Well, this was a wonderful surprise,” said Mary Frances. “Our niece nominated Larry. We didn’t know about this, and we just want to thank Twilight Wish and the Pittsburgh Pirates because we are very grateful. This has been a blessing. He has been a lifelong fan of the Pirates, and so have all of us, so we are very grateful. It’s a blessing. It really is.”
The game that Larry and his family will be this Sunday at PNC Park when the Pirates take on the Colorado Rockies. If you are at the park to cheer on the Pirates and you see Larry, be sure to cheer him on as well.
Christopher DeRose
Advertisement
Chris DeRose is a reporter for KDKA-TV. He has been a reporter, producer, host and actor for over 15 years, starting his professional career in Chicago back in 2007.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen at the tail end of the 2025 NFL season amidst struggles at the position. Thielen had returned to the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, the team that drafted him for which he carved out a very respectable career before signing with the Carolina Panthers in 2023.
Thielen appeared in five regular season games with the Steelers, catching 11 passes. He joined Good Morning Football on Monday and was asked about his experience in Pittsburgh, to which he couldn’t say enough nice things.
“What an amazing experience,” Thielen said. “First of all, just to experience the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. it was so cool to see it first hand. You hear a lot about it, you play against it, but you don’t really understand it until you get in that building. You just feel the culture and just kind of see how it’s different. It’s a family-owned business and it’s got that family aspect to it that they’re always in the building, they’re always around – it’s a really cool place.”
Thielen then discussed his time with Aaron Rodgers, and praised the four-time MVP for his approach to the game.
Advertisement
“Being around Aaron, I’ve known him for a long time,” Thielen said. “Played a lot of golf with him, built a strong relationship with him outside of football. But to seem in the building and in practice and his communication and the way he does things and his detail, it really showed me why he’s been so great for so long. A lot of times… you just think, ‘Oh, they’re really skilled…‘ these guys are great and separate themselves because of their process. He treated every single practice like it was the Super Bowl. it was unbelievable to see first hand just how hard he practiced, what it meant to him, how much communication there was through the week of trying to get everybody on the same page – whether that be coaches or players. So it was really cool to see that first hand and get to know him on the football side of things.”
Thielen retired after the 2025 season, finishing his career with 704 catches for 8,497 yards and 64 touchdowns.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
Advertisement
(Pittsburgh, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Pittsburgh reported Friday that a 19-year-old New Castle man was charged for tailgating following a two-vehicle crash in Pittsburgh on May 11th.
Christopher Glidden Jr. was driving on Interstate 376 West near the Boulevard of the Allies ramp at about 5:23 p.m. when he rear-ended a vehicle driven by 32-year-old Kimberly Brooks of Pittsburgh, according to police.
Police said both drivers were attempting to merge into the left lane at the time of the crash. Brooks suffered a suspected minor injury and was transported from the scene.
