Slippery Rock parks and rec programs filling up
Slippery Rock Area Parks and Recreation's ongoing spring program has notable participation, and its upcoming summer programs already are attracting interest, according to parks director Mary Messer.
The organization is offering a full variety of programming this season after only one summer program was offered last year.
“Our spring programs are flowing,” Messer said. “I think parents are very anxious to get their children out there.”
The organization will have all its usual programs that were canceled last year, Messer said at Tuesday's Slippery Rock borough council meeting. These offerings include adventure camps, Play Safe camps, sports camps for basketball, soccer, baseball and softball and swimming lessons for children and adults.
Messer said programming covers almost every age group from toddler to adult.
“We're back up offering 100% of what we did prior to COVID,” Messer said. “We are still required to follow guidelines set by (Centers for Disease Control), and we do have capacity limits as well.”
Messer also said parks and recreaction brought back the employees who were laid off last year, bringing the total number of employees to about 25.
Messer, said “a lot of people” visited the walking trails last summer. Although the department doesn't keep concrete data on its park attendance, he believes visitors increased similarly to how several Pennsylvania state parks reported increases in visitations during the same period.
Slippery Rock's summer parks season begins the second week of June, corresponding with the end of the school year.
Messer expects the trends in participation to continue into the year.
“We're very, very excited to be able to offer everything again,” Messer said.
For more information on Slippery Rock Area Parks and Recreation, visit the department's website at slipperyrockpark-rec.org.
