'Christianpalooza' Creator Wins $1,125 for Make-a-Wish Foundation

Maria Vondas might not have won Direct Energy’s Citizen of the Year Award, but she still walked away from the award ceremony with a sizable donation for the Make-a-Wish Foundation in the name of Christianpalooza.

The Brookline native was a finalist for the Citizen of the Year Award for her work with Christianpalooza, an annual festival she created in memory of her son, Christian, to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

The event always has been held at Resurrection Church in Brookline. Although it draws supporters mainly from Brookline, Vondas said friends and family visit the annual event from surrounding communitites, including Dormont, Baldwin and Whitehall. To read more about the charity, click here.

Although she did not win the top award, Vondas still earned $1,125 for being a finalist. She said the money will be donated directly to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, under the Christianpalooza name.

"I didn't win, but I met some remarkable people," Vondas said. "I'm so excited."

The winner, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, was Teresa Amelio, a volunteer with North Hills Community Outreach. According to the Tribune-Review, Amelio donated land for the creation of NHCO's Rosalinda Sauro Sirianni Garden in Bellevue, which grows fresh produce that is donated to local food banks.

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