New grant program seeking donations to fund projects at Beaver County parks

Garret Roberts, Beaver County Times
·4 min read

As communities enjoy the public spaces around Beaver County this summer, they may want to consider supporting improvements planned for these areas.

Officials for the Pennsylvania Parks Fund have announced the launch of their new publicly funded grant program, which is currently running a campaign to raise $50,000 for five parks across Beaver County. According to the organization, the participating parks submitted a grant proposal with the specific needs for these projects to allow donors to understand what they will be funding fully.

Elaina Elder, of Economy Borough, helps her daughter, Annabelle, 1, go down a small slide on June 16, 2018, at the playground at Economy Borough Municipal Park. Members of the Economy Borough Recreation Board set up games alongside the playground and provided water, snow cones and popcorn after a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Elaina Elder, of Economy Borough, helps her daughter, Annabelle, 1, go down a small slide on June 16, 2018, at the playground at Economy Borough Municipal Park. Members of the Economy Borough Recreation Board set up games alongside the playground and provided water, snow cones and popcorn after a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“I wanted to create a grant process that was easy for the parks and great for the donor,” said Justin Spencer, project director and founder of the fund. “I believe the new setup accomplishes just that. The new setup makes it easier for PPF to collect donations from the public, businesses and foundations. It also helps donors keep track of what their donations will be used to fund.”

Each park selected in Beaver County plans to receive a $50,000 grant for their project. The local parks selected, as well as their proposals to the donors, are listed below:

  • Economy Municipal Park

    • "The objective of the funding is to construct a safe playground that provides extended periods of fun for children while also enhancing the overall well-being and enjoyment of the community. With the sun's scorching heat, it's important to ensure that our children are kept safe and comfortable while playing at the playground. The borough has decided to install a top-of-the-line canopy sunshade system covering the entire playground area. With this system in place, our children will be able to play without worrying about the harmful effects of the sun's UV rays. This investment will provide a safer and more comfortable environment for our children and increase the longevity of the playground equipment."

  • Koppel Park

    • "The proposed Koppel Park project will mark the first official recreational area within Koppel Borough. We own and maintain a 2-acre parcel within our municipality that includes a Little League field and concession stand. We are looking to acquire two playsets (one for 2-5-year-olds and the other for 6-12 year-olds) plus a swing set, pavilion, and ADA walkways. We have a current site plan designed by EADS. This recreational area would be invaluable for our ever-growing community, which is seeing an influx of young families and school-aged children."

  • Linn Park (Beaver)

    • "Beaver Borough would like to replace and upgrade the current playground at Linn Park, located at Buffalo Street and River Road. The current equipment is extremely outdated, over 20 years, and could use a safety and accessibility upgrade. The park is heavily used by residents, outside community members, soccer practice (Soccer Shots), church play groups, and many more. The project would include new equipment, an area for toddler children, an area for school-aged children, ADA accessible equipment, amongst other upgrades."

  • Walter Panek Park (Ambridge)

    • "The goal for this funding is to create a playground that not only provides hours of fun for children but also contributes to the overall well-being and enjoyment of the community. We would like to replace any outdated or worn-out equipment with newer, safer options. We would invest in inclusive playground equipment to ensure that children of all abilities can enjoy the park. We will consider adding interactive features that engage children's imaginations and encourage creative play. This could be anything from musical instruments like xylophone and drums to sand play areas. Other considerations are to upgrade safety surfaces and provide seating for parents or caregivers."

  • West Mayfield Borough Park

    • "We are working on updating our park to make it more ADA-compliant. What we are planning to do is update our park playground equipment, add in a trail around the park, update our bathrooms, and update our kitchen. We are a small borough that wants to make this a better place to bring your kids to play, have a barbecue, or just a relaxing day."

While this is the launch of its new grant program, the Pennsylvania Parks Fund said it will use membership dues and donations from individuals, businesses and other organizations to continue providing these grants. This cycle of funding will take place until February 2025, with grants being distributed in April. Those looking to donate are encouraged to visit the Pennsylvania Parks Fund website.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Grant program seeks donations for projects at Beaver County parks