Scholarship Fund Established to Honor Que’s ‘Big Ken’
We wanted to find a way to continue to bless people in the way he would have if he were still living.
Anyone who visited Quemahoning Family Recreation Park over the past two decades had an opportunity to appreciate Kenneth Dranzik’s hard work and dedication.
Anyone who interacted with “Big Ken,” even briefly, had the chance to experience how much he cared.
“If you needed anything, Ken was quick to go all out to take care of your needs,” Summers Best Two Week’s Director Kent Biery said. “That’s the kind of guy he was: a super loyal, faithful guy.”
Big Ken, longtime manager of the Que Family Rec Area, passed away in November. A beloved figure around the Que, he’d been an integral part of Summer’s Best Two Weeks as a counselor and volunteer since the early ‘90s, right after he graduated from Slippery Rock University. Now, the Kenneth “Big Ken” Dranzik Memorial Scholarship Fund at CFA will help continue Big Ken’s big-hearted legacy.
“When you think about the Que Family Rec Area, in some ways people’s experience there is synonymous with Ken,” Kent said. “I think about the impact he had on the community, and I just felt like he was a guy whose life would have continued to touch so many people. He cared for many people so well. We wanted to find a way to continue to bless people in the way he would have if he were still living.”
The scholarship fund will provide a cash award to a student in the Greensburg-Salem or North Star School districts, with a focus on students who demonstrate a dedication to community service and model good character.
Kenneth left behind his wife, Martha, and son Benjamin. In addition to his efforts at Summer’s Best Two Weeks, he’d also mentored young men as a counselor at Adelphoi Greystone House in the ‘90s and had volunteered since he was a teenager for the Special Olympics Westmoreland County. A member of Emmanuel Church in Johnstown, Kenneth also served as Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 2114 in Davidsville, where Benjamin became an Eagle Scout. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed seeing others get to do the same.
To donate to the scholarship fund in his honor, CLICK HERE or the ‘Donate’ button below.
