Steelers Honor Front-Line Workers at Art Rooney Awards Dinner

The Pittsburgh Steelers connected with the Catholic Youth Association of Pittsburgh (CYA) to honor front-line workers Monday night.

At the annual Art Rooney Awards dinner, normally held for “top names in the corporate, sports, and media world,” front line workers were thanked for their dedication and commitment to helping the community and City of Pittsburgh.

'When the country was truly shut down, they were the ones leading the charge and moving things forward.'

Front line workers were honored at the annual Art Rooney Awards Dinner on Monday night @heinzfield, benefiting the Catholic Youth Association.

More: https://t.co/RI8kZXlSEt pic.twitter.com/1rEx6lDTCh

— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) September 13, 2021

50 people were recognized and presented with the Art Rooney Award as a 2021 Pittsburgh front-line hero at Heinz Field inside the FedEx Great Hall. Dan Rooney, the son of president Art Rooney II, distributed the awards to nurses, teachers, childcare workers, grocery store workers, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, waitresses, and other essential workers.

“When the country truly shut down, they were the ones leading the charge and moving us forward,” Dan Rooney told Steelers.com. “Giving recognition to everyone that has helped the efforts on the healthcare side and then on the front lines makes perfect sense to the organization.”

Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. helped to save the CYA when the charity, one of Rooney’s favorites, was struggling to make ends meet in the 1970s. The annual dinner was created to assist the organization every year in accordance with Rooney’s Catholic faith and honor the city’s most distinguished and deserving members.

The group was also on hand to attend the Lions-Steelers preseason game, the only preseason action at Heinz Field in 2021.