Murrysville recreation department gears up for a busy summer
Share this post:
Following a summer full of postponements and cancellations — fueled by uncertainty over what type of events could be safely held amid the covid-19 pandemic — Murrysville recreation officials are ready to help the region’s children get out and about.
“We just wanted to plan as many outdoor activities as possible,” said recreation Director Carly Greene. “Kids have been cooped up on screens and inside for so long.”
On May 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., recreation officials will host a “Chalk the Walk” fundraiser at Murrysville Community Park off Wiestertown Road. For a $10 donation to the Murrysville Parks and Recreation Foundation, children will get a 4-by-4-foot space on the walking trail near the MCP entrance.
Proceeds will help fund the purchase of equipment to create a permanent “sensory pathway” at the park. Stencils, developed by Fit & Fun Playscapes in collaboration with educators, offer sensory, fitness and socialization opportunities through exercise activities, counting games and mimicking animal walks.
“People can bring supplies, but we’ll have chalk to hand out,” said recreation Program Director Amy Wengrzyn. “And we’ll have a DJ providing music.”
Pre-registration is available at MurrysvillePArecreation.com, and day-of registration will be available with cash or check only.
Next month, Greene and Wengrzyn plan to get children on the move with the June 12 “Small Fry Scramble,” a half-mile trail loop through Townsend Park where runners will collect stickers along the way.
The cost is $15 and participants will receive a t-shirt and be part of the post-race party.
“Kids 6 and under will run a half-mile, and then, for kids ages 7 to 12, we have a course that goes a little farther,” Greene said. “We just want it to be something that can introduce them to trail running, since it’s a little more fun — with a better view — than just running around a track.”
Other youth programs this summer will include a weekly Murrysville Community Park program beginning June 15 that will show children how to safely run a 5K race, as well as the Farmhouse Kids’ Club that runs in conjunction with the Murrysville Farmers’ Market on Thursday afternoons from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Murrysville VFC No. 1, 3235 Sardis Road. The first Kids’ Club day will be June 10.
For more, or to register for a program or event, see MurrysvillePArecreation.com.