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Joe Sismondo watched as the countdown continued, a cord was pulled and the doors opened, and within seconds, 754 thoroughbred pigeons were airborne into the clear blue sky at C. Harper Ford. A 250-mile marathon in the sky had begun.
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(l-r) Sales manager, Patrick Brown; Joe Sismondo; and Mark Ostetrico.
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There would be several winners from the 47 Philadelphia area lofts competing in the race. In Belle Vernon, there would be one winner from the 49 attendees that witnessed the spectacular start of the race. The local winner would be awarded a gas card for $200. To win, the attendee had to make the best prediction of the precise flying time of the winning pigeon.
Joe Sismondo was this man. Sismondo, a Charleroi resident, a Marine Corp veteran, and a retired Washington D.C. police officer, assessed the wind speed and direction and made his prediction - 4 hours, 54 minutes, 32 seconds. The flying time of the winning bird was 4 hours, 52 minutes, 55 seconds and was clocked by Rick Hobson of Chester, PA.
Sismondo was presented with the gas card by C. Harper sales managers Mark Ostetrico and Patrick Brown.
The C. Harper event was made possible through the efforts of C. Harper General Manager David Marchitello, and Ed Verkleeren. Marchitello offered it as a form of community service. Verkleeren considered the public release as a means of re-introducing a once popular family-friendly sport for local residence. Both men considered this dynamic event something that made the Mon Valley special.
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Last Updated on Monday, 30 July 2012 21:13 |
