Cranberry marks 40th anniversary
CRANBERRY TWP — This year Community Days will celebrate its 40th anniversary and the 40th anniversary of the Cranberry Township Community Chest.
The celebration is set for July 7 to 9 in Cranberry Township Community Park on Route 19. There is no cost for admission.
The first Community Days in 1976 was held in recognition of the U.S. Bicentennial, said township Supervisor Bruce Mazzoni.
The Community Chest, coincidentally, also was started that year, though the two did not become linked until 10 years ago, he said.
Community Day festivities will include art exhibits, a car cruise, an area with activities for children, a carnival with games and rides and live music and theater performances.
Chain saw carver Ken Tynan over the three days will create a wooden sculpture to be placed in the Cranberry parks.
The festivities on Saturday will conclude with a special fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.
“They will be the biggest that we’ve done, in celebration of both 40th anniversary of Community Days and the CTCC,” Mazzoni said.
There will be more than 200 vendors, and about 40 nonprofit groups will participate with booths or with the activities.
The proceeds from the event will go to the Community Chest and to the nonprofit organizations that participate.
Last year’s event raised $155,000 for the nonprofit groups involved, including $100,000 for the Community Chest project of the year.
The 2016 project of the year is resurfacing the baseball field in Graham Park used by the Miracle League of Southwestern PA and building a new playground there.
The next project of the year will be announced in June and some of the proceeds of Community Days will be used as seed money for that project, Mazzoni said.
The Wednesday before the event a Martinis with Monet fundraiser will be at the township municipal center with Cranberry Artists Network.
Anyone interested in learning more about Community Days can visit www.ctcchest.org.
