Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. built his foundation on three things.
Family, faith and football.
Those were what drove him in his daily life. What he held close to his heart.
His passion was his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. He built a football legacy that continued with his family, his son, Dan Rooney Sr., his grandson, Steelers President Art Rooney II, and now his great-grandson, Dan Rooney, the Steelers Vice President of Strategy.
He always held his faith close, which inspired him to give back to others in need, those who were suffering the most.
That desire to give back is felt to this day by those at the Catholic Youth Association (CYA), a local organization that Art Rooney Sr., known as 'The Chief,' stepped in to help when he saw they were struggling financially back in the 1970s. He wanted to help one of his favorite charities, one that embodied the Catholic faith that was a major part of his life, ensuring that they would be able to continue with their mission.
It was from that passion that the Art Rooney Award Dinner was born, an annual event that benefits the CYA. It's an event that has embodied what he believed in, and one Art Rooney II and his son, Dan Rooney, are also an integral part of.
The annual dinner was held on Tuesday night at Acrisure Stadium, bringing together Pittsburgh's leaders in business, education and sports to combine efforts to help the CYA serve the most vulnerable in the community…children and the elderly. The dinner honors those that have made a difference in the community and have a passion for Pittsburgh.
"More than half a century ago, my great-grandfather, Art Rooney, Sr., founded this dinner to benefit the Catholic Youth Association," said Dan Rooney, the Steelers Vice President of Strategy He believed in giving back and taking care of one another. "That philosophy continues to guide us as we come together to support the most vulnerable in our community — our children and our elderly. It is also reflected in tonight's awardees, each of whom has demonstrated a deep commitment to serving our community."
Among the honorees this year are Daniel and Carole Kamin, who received the Art Rooney Award, presented to individuals for their service to the region and caring for the community the way Art Rooney Sr. did.
The Kamins started the Kamin Family Foundation, which is a culmination of giving to projects including Kamin Science Center, The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Senator John Heinz History Center, and UPMC Presbyterian Kamin Tower.
Their family business, Kamin Reality, evolved into becoming the 38th largest real estate developer in the nation, with properties spanning 45 states and totaling nearly 17 million square feet.
Daniel Kamin's love for science and history helped shape his philanthropic vision, which started with his interest in the Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science as a youth. The Foundation's gift to the Kamin Science Center enabled a 10-year strategic plan to help fund investments in new exhibitions and programs as well as expanding the North Side campus.
Carole Kamin served for decades on the board of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum Women's Committee where she has been involved with the Holiday Trees Event for 20 years, chairing her own tree each year. She also lent a hand to UPMC and the needs of the local medical community through the Ladies Hospital Aid Society, where she is currently President. Carole also serves as a community volunteer for numerous non-profits including Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Eye & Ear Foundation, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, and the National Society of Arts and Letters.
The couple were recently recognized as Outstanding Philanthropists by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and the Pittsburgh Business Times has recognized Carole with a 2025 Women of Influence Award.
Kendra Whitlock Ingram, the President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, was presented with the Patricia R. Rooney Award, named after the late wife of Dan Rooney Sr. and presented annually to a woman who has provided exceptional leadership and service to the Pittsburgh community.
"I don't know if there's a greater honor in Pittsburgh, to not only to receive an honor from the Rooney family, but specifically in the spirit of Patricia," said Ingram. "It is thrilling for me, and I hope I can live up to what she embodied in women's leadership and her love and passion for the City of Pittsburgh and all of its great assets.
"I'm not originally from Pittsburgh, but I feel like it is a coming home for me. I had my professional awakening in Pittsburgh as a student at Duquesne University. I specifically wanted to go to Duquesne because it was immediately adjacent to downtown and I wanted to have access to what I saw as a major city performing arts scene.
"This is really a destination job in Pittsburgh. Everything I've done in my career has led to developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities that I now have to be able to run the Cultural Trust. And now to win this award, it feels like I have come home."
Prior to her arrival in Pittsburgh, Ingram was the President and CEO of the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and also served in many other leadership roles within the arts. Ingram holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Nebraska Omaha and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Duquesne University.
She also has a passion for helping others, serving on the Board of Governors for The Broadway League (co-chair of the Intra-Industry and Black to Broadway Committees) as well as the Board of Directors for Highmark, Inc., Duquesne University, Allegheny County Airport Authority, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and Board Chair for the Live Arts Centers of North America (LACNA) Foundation.
"I feel that it's a big part of our role at the Cultural Trust to be partnering with other organizations, to be not only a steward of this great asset of the cultural district, but also to ensure that we provide access and accessibility to the arts for everyone," said Ingram. "That translates into what I do in my free time, really giving back and most importantly, just being engaged.
"When I first arrived in Pittsburgh, the County Executive at the time, Rich Fitzgerald, gave me a piece of advice, which is make sure you just show up. And so showing up is providing service as a board member on various boards in town, going to see performances of all the different arts groups, not just in the cultural district, but also around the city. Making sure that I've filled my closet with Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and Pitt volleyball attire. When I go into a city, I try to just jump in with two feet, but here in Pittsburgh, that's kind of what's expected. Being engaged is a big part of what I feel is important."
Ingram looks forward to leading the Culture Trust into continued growth, with Arts Landing being an integral part of Pittsburgh's future.
"Our audiences are growing, particularly with the addition of Arts Landing," said Ingram. "We're seeing more people engaging with the cultural district that's outside of the traditional theater experience. We have so many great shows that are coming through the district, and I feel like Pittsburgh is finally getting recognized for all of its wonderful amenities. We're getting a lot of attention nationally, and the Cultural Trust is a part of that. It's a great time to be in Pittsburgh."
The past year was a record-breaking one for the City of Pittsburgh, attracting an NFL-record 805,000 people for the 2026 NFL Draft.
And part of that success can be credited to VisitPITTSBURGH, under the leadership of Jerad Bacher, the President and CEO.
That is part of the reason Bachar was the recipient of the John E. McCrady Award for his commitment to the Pittsburgh community.
"It's an incredible honor to receive the award at this dinner, especially when you think about the legacy of the Rooney family as it is intertwined with the legacy of Pittsburgh and the evolution of the entire region," said Bachar. "It really is an exciting opportunity for me and for our organization to be part of such a legacy of previous award winners, but certainly in relation to the Rooney family and everything that they brought to the community.
"It was incredibly humbling that we had the opportunity to co-host such an event as the NFL Draft in partnership with the Steelers, in particular to deliver the largest and by most metrics most successful event in the history of the NFL, but certainly in the history of the City of Pittsburgh and the entire region. It really is an honor to have that opportunity and to be able to deliver something like that on behalf of the community."
The 2026 NFL Draft delivered $177 million in economic impact and more than $1.5 billion in economic value for the Pittsburgh region, according to two independent post-event analyses, cementing the event as one of the most impactful moments in the region's history.
"It was an incredible opportunity, one of the best experiences that I've had in my entire career because I was able to help represent a community that is so excited and so passionate about their hometown," said Bachar. "We put Pittsburgh on a global stage."
The Draft, as well as many other events VisitPITTSBURGH runs and supports, also had a community aspect to it, making sure giving back was a key factor in the event.
"A lot of what we do is focus on the economic benefit of tourism, but there's a lot of social benefit that comes from it as well," said Bachar. "Whenever we have events here that have some kind of charitable programs or have the ability to leave a legacy behind, whether it's through environmental programs or school programs, all of those things have a long-lasting impact on our broader community. And when we are thinking about what we do to promote tourism, whether it's our arts and culture, our communities, our neighborhoods, all of that is also centered around quality of life assets for all of us who live here. Everything we promote through tourism is also helping build a quality of life here for our residents."
University of Pittsburgh volleyball player Olivia Babcock might be from the West Coast, having grown up in Chatworth, California, but the two-time AVCA National Player of the Year, and one of most decorated student-athletes in Pitt history, has quickly embodied what it means to be a Pittsburgher. That is why she was awarded the Bob Prince Award, honoring someone who embodies the late Pittsburgh Pirates radio announcer and honors someone who embodies his enthusiasm for Pittsburgh sports and the community.
Babcock, a three-time ACC Player of the Year and three-time First Team All-American selection, understands what it means to represent Pittsburgh sports.
"The city shows up to every single match and shows their support for us and follows us on social media," said Babcock. "It means a lot to be a part of this community. The team can walk around, and people will come up to us and say, 'Hail to Pitt.' People come up to me on the street and say, 'I'm a season ticket holder. I have so many friends who are fans.'
"Just seeing how much the city cares and how much our fan base grows every year shows how much of an impact we are having on the community.
"People in LA really care about sports, but people in Pittsburgh wear it with pride. They pride themselves as fans of Pittsburgh sports and they will show support no matter what the result is. Even if things don't go our way, they still tell us that they are backing us and they are going to still show up for us. That community motivates us to do our best and that's why we are able to find success."
During her time in Pittsburgh, Babcock has learned about the Pittsburgh sports culture, so being honored at the Art Rooney Awards dinner is something that isn't lost on her.
"It is such an honor, and it shows how much the city cares about sports at all levels," said Babcock. "The fact that we are able to find this much success and I'm able to be recognized by the Rooney family shows how much our community and University is doing to grow the sport of volleyball.
"For someone so invested in football to care about volleyball, it shows how much people care about women's sports. Other deserving women may not have gotten this type of recognition in the past and it shows the growth of women's sports. That's what I'm most proud of."
WTAE-TV sports director and news anchor Andrew Stockey was the recipient of the Bill Burns Award, named after the late KDKA-TV news anchor and an award that stands for journalistic excellence.
"Bill Burns was a standard of Pittsburgh broadcasting," said Stockey. "You say Bill Burns, or Joe DeNardo more recently, and I reference Sally Wiggin as the standards. I never really think of myself as part of that group.
"It's flattering to win this award, and be recognized with an award named for such a pioneer in Pittsburgh media. It's very humbling. You don't think of yourself as a part of that pantheon of great people. You're just going to work every day and doing your job to the best of your ability.
"And the fact that you're being recognized with something at an event that honors Art Rooney Sr. is also very humbling."
Stockey joined WTAE in 1995, after stints at Fox News and ESPN, and has reported on breaking news as well as some of the areas biggest sports stories. He serves as host of WTAE's 'Operation Football' and is the co-host of 'Black and Gold Primetime.'
Stockey has won Edward R. Murrow and Golden Quill awards for his sports reporting, best sports play-by-play from the Pennsylvania Associated Press and has been honored multiple times by the organization for best sportscast.
He received the Mid-Atlantic Emmy for best sportscast and was recognized by Duquesne University in 2018 with their annual Distinguished Communicator award.
Stockey is also a member of the Steelers Hall of Honor Selection Committee.
"I love local news," said Stockey. "Everything we talk about impacts us. And Pittsburgh is special. I felt like it is home, and that's what I love about Pittsburgh. It's a town where it doesn't matter where you live, you're probably connected by one person to somebody else. That's one of the reasons I love living here. I'm at the point now where I can't imagine ever living anywhere else. This is truly home for me."
In addition, Claudia Pepinski received the Nick Cardello Award for her volunteer work with CYA.
