Alice Kane is Shamrock honoree

Saturday marked not only St. Patrick’s Day, but an absolutely magical moment for the 2018 Shamrock Award winner, Alice O’Donnell Kane.

Kane joined a club of more than 50 outstanding people honored by the Irish-American Association of the Panther Valley during its 71st annual banquet at the Summit Hill Community Center.

“This evening we are going to honor a well-known, well-loved Summit Hill Irishwoman, Alice O’Donnell Kane. As the Panther Valley Irish-American Association president and past Shamrock Award recipient, I am extremely happy for you, Alice, to be accepting the 2018 Shamrock Award this evening,” Bobby O’Gurek said during the opening remarks.

An Irish smile

“She always has her Irish smile on her face, as many people will never forget. Alice is loved in our community, not only in Summit Hill, but the whole Panther Valley area. Family is extremely important to Alice, and her feelings for family extends far beyond her relatives.”

Kane provided 32 years of public service as the area tax collector, a position she relinquished just this past January.

A graduate of Panther Valley High School, Kane originally worked as a secretary at Genetti’s supermarket in Lansford before taking a role as a judge of elections in Summit Hill’s First Election District for 20 years.

Married to Alexander “Butch” Kane, she raised three children, Martin, Jennifer and Allison Maini with plenty of affection and attention, which she also shares with her five grandchildren, Brendan and Austin Kane, John and Alexis Alice Buchala, and Allee Maini.

Family, community

Kane has always contributed her time and passionate dedication to her family and community through her work, as well as being the first president of the Summit Hill Girls’ Softball Association, a team captain for the American Legion team in the Summit Hill Little League Association and Auxiliary, den mother of Cub Scout Pack 145 and an active Panther Valley Band Booster.

Association secretary and public liaison Paul McArdle, who served as toastmaster, said that the organization couldn’t have found a better representation of the Irish spirit than Kane.

“The Irish are known to be outgoing, positive people who are hospitable. We like to help others. That’s the textbook definition of Alice Kane. She’s as outgoing as they come, hospitable, she’s always welcoming anywhere you are, and she’s involved in so many things in the community that you can’t even count them,” he said.

Joining numerous other esteemed Irish folk of the area as a Shamrock Award winner was all the more flattering for Kane, as her father, Ambrose O’Donnell, made the same list 53 years ago to the day.

The legacy

“My goodness, just to be a part of this legacy is overwhelming. It means so much to me that the same honor they gave him 53 years ago back in 1965 is being bestowed on me. It is more than just a plaque. People have no clue what this organization has given to me. Just the outreach of love, from people I would never have expected. I’m not just saying this — the cards, the people surrounding me for the last month, being so good to me, so generous to me, and making me feel so special. I don’t deserve it!” she said at the dinner.

McArdle took to the stage for some gentle ribbing, highlighting his attempt at a heartfelt goodbye to his tax collector when she retired.

“A couple months ago I sent her my very last check to her as tax collector. I wrote her a nice little message in it, getting a little sentimental, wishing her the best in her retirement, all that stuff. I was really trying to be nice to this humble person. She sent me back a note saying, ‘Thank you so much for the nice note,’ and I thought, ‘Oh! She’s actually being nice right now!’ And then, it said, ‘It’s been a pleasure to take your money all these years,” he said as the crowd burst into laughter.

Family input

Kane’s son, Martin, took to the stand to provide a loving tribute to his dear mother, which of course tugged at the heartstrings.

“She is not just my mother, she is a good person. A caring and compassionate person. Someone deep in faith and community spirit. She is a loving wife, and a shining example of what a mother should be. She looks never for the negative in others, only the good. When friends and family hurt, she hurts, and when they succeed, she feels great joy and pride in their success,” he said.

Her youngest granddaughter, Allee Maini, came to the podium — with a little help from a milk crate — to honor, and of course roast, her beloved Nana, especially in respect to her very Irish nature.

“Well, after some research, I found that the Irish like to celebrate life’s passing. So, to let you all know how Irish my Nana is, she has already bought her plot to be buried in. Now, it’s me and Lexi’s job to dance upon her grave. I’ve already been instructed by my very alive Nana how she’d like us to dance. So, if you see two little girls dancing in the cemetery, you don’t have to be concerned,” Maini said.

Kane concluded, “It is truly overwhelming, it’s just the best thing in my whole life.”