There are two famous sayings in the Penguins organization: one by the late ‘Badger’ Bob Johnson, “it’s a great day for hockey”; and one by the late Mike Lange, “it’s a hockey night in Pittsburgh!”
At today's grand reopening celebration for the Braddock Carnegie Library hosted by the Braddock Carnegie Library Association (BCLA), U. S. Steel and the Pittsburgh Penguins, emcee Josh Getzoff felt there was another line worth uttering.
“Thinking about this building, the impact it's going to have on Braddock and the greater community, the youth here that are going to benefit so much... let's quote the late, great Fred Rogers: it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!” said the SportsNet Pittsburgh play-by-play broadcaster.
Despite the rainy weather, that couldn’t have been truer. Today’s event, which featured a ceremony, ribbon cutting and open house, capped off a four-year renovation of the first Carnegie Library commissioned and built by Andrew Carnegie in the United States, a National Historic Landmark.
Pittsburgh Penguins alumni and Hockey Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier and David B. Burritt, President & CEO of U. S. Steel, served as Honorary Co-Chairs of what ended up being a $21 million capital campaign.
“We’ve got a great relationship with the Penguins,” Burritt said. “What they do for us, this camaraderie, this is what a true partnership looks like – and we’re delighted to have them on our team each and every day.”
In recognition of its status, the Library’s new name and brand is Carnegie One. That was a theme Teddy Werner of the Penguins touched on in his remarks, talking about the remarkable parallels between libraries and the business of sports in regard to topics like community gathering, hope, and legacy.
"What has always struck me is sports’ ability to unite a community,” Werner said. “When you come to a Steelers game or a Pirates game or a Penguins game, we're all Pittsburghers, we're all one. We're all part of one community, and that is the same for a library. It's a destination for all to come to and be one and the same. So, we at the Penguins through the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, are obviously incredibly honored to be a supporter of this project.”
While the Library itself is the heart and soul, the building has so much more to offer, and allows the Penguins Foundation to help champion the region through its programming and pillars: community, education, wellness, and youth hockey.
The gymnasium features Penguins branding, with kids taking to the floor for some dek hockey action. The Penguins Foundation, in partnership with U. S. Steel, developed the program Reading Champions - with Woodland Hills School District Student Reading Champions Ambassadors spending time in the new Children’s Book Nook alongside Iceburgh.
“The partnership with Penguins is probably indescribable with all the things that we've been able to do, not just together, but in the communities where we operate,” said Heidi Chappell, Senior Director of Community & Stakeholder Engagement at U. S. Steel.
“The Penguins have such a positive influence in the community. We want to walk side by side with somebody who has the same impact and the same vision that we have, to help fill different gaps in the community and to help be that partner to our community.”
That is a priority for Fenway Sports Group, which assumed ownership of the Penguins in 2021.
“Yes, we are driven by this sort of insatiable desire to win championships. But first and foremost, we know that we are caretakers and stewards of an incredibly important civic asset, not just the venues that these teams play in, but the teams themselves,” Werner said.
“So, our ultimate goal with our sports properties is to leave a legacy on and off the field in the same way that Andrew Carnegie did with respect to his business acumen and his incredible commitment to philanthropy. At FSG, we're incredibly honored to have inherited so much of the Penguins, from a remarkable tradition of winning, to being so fortunate to continue seeing Sidney Crosby play at such a high level every night, to some of the greatest fans in all of sports.
“But really, what makes us most proud at the Penguins and the other properties that we're involved in is to be part of projects like this.”
