Sarah Donahue, 2021 Joseph F. Saporito Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON — Sarah Donahue, not quite 40 years old, feels she isn’t old enough to be awarded such a distinction for lifetime achievements, but her resumé would tell you differently.
Donahue has been named the Joseph F. Saporito Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2021.
A teacher at Pittston Area’s Martin A. Mattei Middle School, Donahue has been volunteering her services in Greater Pittston for as long as she can remember, going back to her days as a candy striper at Wilkes-Barre’s General Hospital during her high school years.
She has been on the Pittston Tomato Festival committee for over a decade, she has been the chairperson of the Little Miss and Mister Tomato Contest, and she single-handedly oversees the Tomato Festival Parade, where as many as 100 units march in August.
Donahue cut her teeth directing and scheduling parades for as long as 10 years coordinating the St. Patrick’s Parade in downtown Pittston.
She is an original member of the Pittston St. Patrick’s committee where she has overseen the parades, the St. Patrick’s Pub Crawls, Leprechaun Loop 5K race/walk, and the Little Miss and Mister Leprechaun contest.
“Sarah’s mark is scattered across several events here in Pittston,” City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo said. “She’s the “Queen of Parades” in the city and no one does it better. That’s not an easy task and she does it well every year so kudos to her. Last year she stepped up and ran the Tomato Festival parade and did an awesome job with that.”
Lombardo said Donahue isn’t limited to just parades, she has her hands in many other functions in the City of Pittston.
Donahue is the former volunteer City of Pittston Special Events coordinator. She had a part in developing Trick or Treat Main Street and the Christmas celebration in downtown Pittston.
She was involved from the ground floor with the Pittston Farmer’s Market as well as aiding in developing the Second Friday Art Walks in downtown Pittston.
Over the past few Christmas holiday seasons, Donahue has been a coordinator at the Middle School where she teaches in the Greater Pittston Santa Squad Angel Tree program.
In sports, Donahue volunteered her time with the Greater Pittston Stoners as a soccer coach, served on the board of directors, and evened refereed games in the league.
She helped guide the Pittston Area Girls Soccer team to its very divisional title in 2012 and their first District Championship in 2014.
Donahue was also an assistant coach for Pittston Area girls Lacrosse team and the Patriots Swimming team.
In recent years, Donahue has taken up running for a hobby, eventually becoming a founding member of the Pittston Running club. She has participated in many 5K races and several half-marathons.
Donahue has been active with the Wyoming Valley Striders running club.
She is a member of the Jacqueline’s Club (an arm of the Pittston Knight’s of Columbus), the Greater Pittston of Commerce Women’s Network, and Greater Pittston YMCA.
Donahue currently serves on the board of the Greater Pittston Historical Society.
She is a past graduate of the Leadership Wilkes-Barre and the IMPACT Teacher’s Program and has taken part in the Junior Leadership Wilkes-Barre and a former Greater Pittston Athletic Center Board Member.
Sarah said she’s proud and humbled by being chosen the Joseph F. Saporito Lifetime Achievement Award.
