CRANBERRY TWP — Residents are asked to help the Cranberry Township Community Chest make a big decision for two parks.

Bruce Mazzoni, treasurer of the CTCC, has announced that the charitable organization plans to place four pads of outdoor exercise equipment in Graham and North Boundary parks this spring.

He said the public is invited to give suggestions regarding the equipment for the project at a presentation at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at council chambers in the township municipal center on Rochester Road.

He said the equipment, which will be clustered into stations along the exercise trails at the two parks, will be similar to the machines in fitness clubs but built for the outdoors.

Each station will have about 15 pieces of equipment for use all year.

At the meeting, parks director Pete Geis will have a presentation by the maker of the equipment. Then suggestions will be taken from the public.

Mazzoni said township and CTCC officials have a general idea regarding the equipment, but they want to ensure the final result will be what the public will use.

“We don't want to make that call independently,” Mazzoni said.

Barbara Shumaker lives in the Bellview Park patio homes adjacent to Graham Park, where she frequently walks three miles on the exercise trail.

“I'm so excited by it,” Shumaker said of the exercise machine plan. “It's going to be great.”

Knut Simonson of the Franklin Woods plan agreed, and said the stations should be in a pavilion so exercisers can get out of the rain or sun for their workouts.

“I'll probably go use it when the weather is nice,” Simonson said.

Mazzoni said the fitness stations, which are expected to cost about $200,000, will be the fourth CTCC “Project of the Year” in the township.

“We are putting major installations into our community, and we're not using taxpayer money,” Mazzoni said.

He said the CTCC has collected $125,000, but he said others need to pitch in on the project.

“How much we raise will determine the number of pieces of equipment that are purchased,” Mazzoni said.

He said many township businesses and organizations have donated to the project, including Victory Family Church which gave $10,000.

“Part of the reason we exist as a church is to support our community,” said the Rev. John Nuzzo. “We want to do our very best to join our efforts with others in serving for the betterment of Cranberry Township.”

Information on the project is available at www.cranberrytownship.org.