9 grants awarded by tourism bureau
FRANKLN TWP — Nine grants to Butler County organizations for improvements to parks, recreational areas and tourist development projects were awarded at the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau’s annual Toast to Tourism.
More than 200 people attended the dinner Thursday at the Atrium.
The nine were selected from 21 applicants for the Butler County Tourism Grant Initiative, which awards money to organizations promoting tourism in the county.
Grants went to:
- Butler County Parks and Recreation and the Butler-Freeport Community Trail Council to develop single track mountain bike trails at Alameda Park. The grant is for the second phase of development.
- The Glade Run Lake Conservancy to improve a fishing jetty to make the dock accessible to people with disabilities. Construction will be completed by next year.
- The Butler County Airport Authority to create a marketing and public relations plan for the airport.
- The Mars Area History and Landmarks Society to build a boarding platform for the Mars Short Line Railroad. The new structure also will be used for lectures, picnics and exhibits.
- Get Fit Families LLC in Cranberry Township, along with Moraine State Park and Harmony to market the Get Fit Families Race Series. The company will produce several races each year to attract participants from all over the country to the county.
- Butler Downtown, along with the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, to improve Main Street Christmas lighting. The lighting will be upgraded to longer lasting bulbs for easier maintenance.
- Buffalo Township to make improvements to the Butler-Freeport Trail. It will help to resurface the trail and make drainage improvements.
- The Allegheny Aquatic Alliance, along with Wild Waterways Conservancy, to remove 60,000 pounds of garbage from the Connoquenessing Creek. The grant will assist with recycling services, and equipment rentals.
- The Butler Fall Festival to attract more visitors by adding a Fall Crawl the night before the event. The money also will be used for software for vendor registration.
The bureau created a new Tourism Ambassador of the Year Award to honor an individual who has gone above and beyond as a tourism advocate.
It gave the award to Wayne Conley of Conely Resort in Penn Township. Conely is a founding member of the tourism bureau, and has served as board president and treasurer.
Jack Cohen, president of the tourism bureau, said Conley has been an advocate for all segments of county tourism.
“Wayne Conley, without question, has made our tourism agency what it is today,” Cohen said.
The event was sponsored by the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Nextier Bank, Walmart, Northwood Realty Services, Sysco and Huckestein Printing.
