North Huntingdon VFW Post raising money to renovate Kattic Pavilion

A 28-year-old pavilion named in honor of a former commander of the J. Howard Snyder Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 781 needs to be renovated, and the organization has launched an effort to raise $25,000 to do the work.

Post commander Kory Bulloch said the goal is to make the Don Kattic Pavilion a better place for people to use for gatherings along Billot Avenue in North Huntingdon.

Kattic, who was 97 when he died in January 2020, served as the commander of the VFW post for more than two decades. The VFW post honored him with the naming of the pavilion while he was alive, Bulloch said.

“We wanted to honor him. He did everything he could for the veterans,” Bulloch said of Kattic, a Marine Corps veteran who fought in the Korean War.

Kattic was known in the Norwin area because he taught history at Norwin High School for 37 years and was active in the community, helping to raise money to have veterans memorials at Norwin High School, Ardara, downtown Irwin and the North Huntingdon Town House.

The VFW wants to install a new roof, build restroom facilities, add hot water service and convert the kitchen area into a space for serving food, at the 20-by-80-foot pavilion behind the VFW building, Bulloch said. They also want to repair a sidewalk leading from the VFW to the pavilion and make it handicap-accessible.

The pavilion was constructed in 1996 by various groups, including adults who needed volunteer service hours, Boy Scouts and volunteers from the VFW.

But it is at risk of being condemned, the VFW said.

Unfortunately, the structure has lacked maintenance since it was built, said Leslie Kattic Quealy of North Huntingdon, a co-chair of the Save the Don Kattic Pavilion Committee.

“We want to modernize it. We want to renovate the place so that it is here for the future,” said Quealy, one of Don and Joanne Kattic’s five daughters.

The VFW commander said they have received generous support from area contractors who offered to do the work at a discounted price, without charging for their labor.

In addition to renovating the structure, they also want to do landscaping, Bulloch said. He said he is hoping Boy Scouts who are working to earn the rank of Eagle Scout will consider that for their capstone project.

“We want to make sure it represents the spirit of the VFW and the community and want to make aesthetically pleasing,” Bulloch said.

In order to make the dream of renovating the pavilion a reality, the VFW is planning fundraisers and is seeking donations from individuals and businesses.

The VFW post set different levels of tax-deductible donations, from less than $100 to $1,000. Donors can submit payments through Venmo at Save-the-Don-Kattic-Pavilion or @vfw781. Checks can be made payable to VFW Post 781, with the memo line indicating “Save The Don Kattic Pavilion” and mailed to VFW Post 781, 100 Billot Ave., North Huntingdon, PA 15642.

More information is available by sending an email to SaveTheDonKatticPavilion@gmailcom.