A new dock and kayak launch opening at Moraine State Park will provide people with disabilities a place to enjoy the water and instill a sense of pride and leadership in the group behind the project.

Sponsored by the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, Butler County Community College and Slippery Rock University, the Leadership Butler County program's class of 2020 is holding two fundraisers for the dock and launch as its class project.

The goal is to raise $50,000 for the EZ Dock and EZ Launch System and to pave handicapped parking spaces on the South Shore of Lake Arthur in the park.

The class came up with the idea for the dock and launch as a way to benefit disabled veterans, but any disabled person will be able to use the facility, said Michele Konyha, class chairwoman.

“The ramp isn't just for vets. It's for all disabled people,” said Konyha, a payroll and human resource specialist at Butler County Community College.

She said she was honored to be nominated for the yearlong Leadership program and plans to use what she learns in the future.

“It gives me a sense of pride because I'm helping people in our community,” Konyha said about the project.

To raise the money, the class is holding a murder mystery dinner and is raffling off a kayak and other outdoor gear. The dinner is 5 p.m. May 9 at the Atrium. Tickets cost $40 and include a buffet dinner and raffles in addition to the performance.

Tickets for the Necky Kayak 130R, life vest, paddle, Yeti cooler, 80-quart wheeled Pelican cooler, Member's Mark portable gas grill, LifeTime tailgate table and AdventureRidge folding table and stool set cost $20. The package is valued at $2,800. One thousand tickets are available from class members and the Chamber for the Aug. 3 drawing.

Class members will help install the dock, which will open on July 11. A ribbon cutting for the dock will be held on the first day of the park's annual regatta on Aug. 1.

The 24-member, filled-to-capacity class began the Leadership program in September last year and will be recognized at a graduation ceremony held during the Chamber's annual dinner in September this year.

She said her son Stephen is in the Army Reserves and served a tour in Iraq last year, her father is a Vietnam War veteran, her sister served in the Army, and her brother-in-law is in the service.

“Veterans are close to my heart,” Konyha said. “The ramp isn't just for veterans. It's for all disabled people.”

The class is the 28th to participate in the Leadership program that has inspired graduates to get involved in the community, said Stan Kosciuszko.

“Leadership Butler County is a professional development program for business people here in Butler County to give them exposure to what's available in the county and also to hone their team building skills,” Kosciuszko said. “It's a highly respected program and it's a good way for the Chamber to train future leaders.”

Kosciuszko said people who graduated from the program now serve on boards for service organizations throughout the county.

The program is so popular that next year's class is already full, he said.