Swinging good time: YMCA christens playground
CRANBERRY TWP. — Sunny days such as the area experienced over the weekend were largely wasted last spring and summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the hope that this year will provide more opportunities for families to gather together, the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA, 2001 Ehrman Road, unveiled its brand-new playground Saturday as part of Healthy Kids Day.
Attractions included train rides, a petting zoo, bounce houses and horse rides, along with the playground itself.
The event was free to both nonmembers and members of the YMCA.
“After last year, we're looking forward to just celebrate kids being kids and coming together as a community again,” said Ashley Vranick, the YMCA's Youth and Family director.Planning began five years ago, long before “coronavirus” entered our vocabulary, but with many kids spending more time in front of television and computer screens over the last 14 months, the opening of the playground was a reminder of how important physical activity is for them.“COVID was a wake-up call for us,” said Carrie Ohorodnyk, executive director of the YMCA. “Obesity is the No. 1 risk factor when it comes to the virus. People have to start taking care of themselves.”Setting kids on the track to a healthy lifestyle is a good place to start. Healthy Kids Day, a national initiative for youths to be active, provided the perfect backdrop for Saturday's event.Mike Eaves, a resident of Jackson Township, came to the festivities with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children — Lilly, 12, Charlotte, 10, and Connor, 4.“A lot of the activities our kids take part in, like Girl Scouts and sporting events, were done remotely,” Mike Eaves said. “This is fantastic. The sun's finally out, and our kids were excited to come, especially Connor. He takes swim lessons and goes to pre-school here, too. He could tell something was going on.”Kim Lucia, of Cranberry Township, brought her children — Alexa, 6, and Colin, 2, — to see what the event had to offer.“We just found out about it a couple of days ago,” she said, “but I didn't know it was going to be all of this.“It's close to where we live and it's a nice spot for the kids,” she said.
The YMCA has several summer programs planned, including one for preschool-aged children. The playground, which includes swings, slides and a zip line, among other attractions, will certainly be put to use by the 200 kids currently registered for that.“This is a huge asset to us, for current and future planning,” said Ohorodnyk, who said the YMCA's membership is down by 40 percent due to the pandemic. The hope is the playground will entice more families to join.The playground cost $215,000 and was partially paid for by donations from several public and private entities. The difference came out of the YMCA's capital reserve fund, which it now aims to replenish.It should prove to be money well spent.“The playground really captures the spirit of Healthy Kids Day and the Y's mission to strengthen community, beginning with families and local kids,” said Vranick.
