Local "Knight Rider" Meets Basketball at Kuhn's Event Sunday

When it comes to the food displays showcased in , general manager Dave Olsavsky likes to get creative.

One area of the Cranberry grocery features seafood and all its accompaniments – think lemon juice and tartar sauce – alongside a flat-screen television that plays “Finding Nemo” and other fun fish movies. Another display with a fun-in-the-sun theme holds sunscreen projects – and Hawaiian potato chips -- while Caribbean music plays gently in the background.

But the piece de resistance is the March Madness-themed “snack central” area that Olsavsky and his team set up in the produce aisle. Along with walls made from boxes of snack food and cases of soda, the area has two basketball hoops and several squishy basketballs.

Olsavsky liked the set-up so much he decided to build a fundraiser around it. But what that fundraiser would be, he had no idea.

“We just thought we were building a nice display,” he said.

Inspiration struck as he was listening to KDKA Radio’s Rob Pratte, who also broadcasts his "Black and Gold Sunday" show from the store. Pratte was interviewing Glenn Young, who runs a nonprofit dedicated to keeping kids safe. His "Knight Rider" program is inspired by the 1980s television series.

Olsalvsky had found his cause.

“I came in and said ‘I know who we’re going to have it for,’” he said.

On Sunday, Young will appear at the store from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with his “K.I.D” car, a miniature version of the K.I.T.T car from the “Knight Rider” series starring David Hasselhoff. “The Hoff,” an alum of "Baywatch" and "Dancing with the Stars," counts himself among the program’s supporters, according to his website.   

Besides the safety program, there will be games and prizes – courtesy of many local vendors – at the event.

Once they heard about the fundraiser – now called the Kuhn’s Market Cranberry Shoot Out -- Olsavsky said store venders immediately began contributing food and goodies to the event.

Olsavsky said Frito-Lay and Herr’s each contributed a basketball hoop to the event. Snyder’s of Hanover offered free potato chips while Nabisco gave permission to hand out its products. Pasta company Gia Russo and several other food companies also stepped in with offers to prepare their products during the event and feed them to customers.

“Now I have all these demos happening,” Olsavsky said happily.

Several vendors also contributed prizes, including gift certificates to Toys ‘R Us and Build-A-Bear, tickets to see the Pittsburgh Pirates play and more to be raffled off during the event.

“We just took off with it,” Olsavsky said.

Pratte also will broadcast his Sunday show during the fundraiser. Olsavsky said there would be a “Little Tykes” hoop for those age 5 and under, a basketball hoop standing seven feet high for those age 6 to 11, and a regulation basketball hoop for those age 12 and older at the store. Participants can buy tickets for $1 each for two chances to make a basket.  The prizes will be raffled off after the shoot-off.

All proceeds from the event benefit the child-safety awareness program.

Olsavsky said this is the first time the Cranberry Kuhn's has put together a fundraiser. He couldn’t be happier about it.

“I’m so proud of our store,” he said.