TL Photo/GAGE VOTA: A yard sign promoting the 75th anniversary event taking place Sept. 7 at Warren Township Park.
YORKVILLE – Warren Township Park celebrates its 75th anniversary on Saturday, September 7.
The festivities will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will include several artisan vendors, live music from Zane Run and The Muddle, food vendors, face painting, bounce houses, balloon artists, pickleball, volleyball and a basket raffle. The Memorial Pool in the park is free for all visitors to swim in.
For the more athletic attendees, Buckeye Local High School is hosting a 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
“There will be food, games, T-shirts for sale, bouncy castles and free swimming. The fire department will bring its fire engines, the library will bring its bookmobile and many local businesses will participate,” said Mary Ann Russell, Warren Township Park Clerk/Treasurer.
Russell added that all churches in the Yorkville and Rayland area support the event through donations or volunteers.
The Warren Township Park Board has been working for a full year to organize the 75th anniversary event. The board is a four-person, all-volunteer group consisting of Secretary/Treasurer Mary Ann Russell, Park Board Chair Joe Malechowski, and board members Tami Horvath and Rosie Thomas.
“It’s difficult because we don’t have many people, but we have a few volunteers for the event day,” Said Thomas.
The committee will sell t-shirts with the names of all of Yorkville’s former businesses to honor and celebrate Yorkville’s history and raise money for the park. Russell added that she believes nearly every local business in the Yorkville area will either be represented as a vendor at the event or support the event by donating money. The board will also place a plaque at Shelter 2 during the event honoring all of the former board members. Nearly all of the park’s funding comes from a combination of grants Malechowski is applying for the park, a GoFundMe page where residents can donate, and a business levy.
“Operating a public swimming pool is more of a service to the community than a way to make money,” said Malechowski.
He added that although the park is called Warren Township Park, it is not owned by Warren Township.
“When the park was established in 1949, the three original residents jointly petitioned the court to take over a piece of land. I believe it was three different farms that were combined. They divided it up so that it was between both cities for public use.” added Malechowski. “We are not funded by the municipality at all. We are funded by our operating taxes and by the income we generate during the season from rentals and swimming pool admissions.”
Anyone interested in leasing Warren Township Park can call Thomas at 304-280-5518 or Malechowski at 740-275-6404 or email the board at [email protected].
In addition to the 75th anniversary event, the park will host a Pooch Plunge on September 8. To end the summer, visitors can take their dogs for a swim at the Plunge.
“Today is the last day we are allowed to let anyone into the pool,” said Malechowski.
Another event the park hosts is the Trunk-Or-Treat on October 20th.
