Erin Peddigree, executive director of Gettysburg Area Recreation Authority (GARA), offered an end-of-year summary to Cumberland Township supervisors at their meeting last week.
Cumberland Township provides GARA with $70,000 in funding for its operations each year. The Borough of Gettysburg provides GARA with $75,000 to fund operations. Additional funds for GARA come through donations and grants.
Peddigree told supervisors it was an exciting, successful, and busy year for GARA.
“It was a busy year but also a very rewarding one in regard to the events and services we were able to provide to thousands of people in our community,” said Peddigree.
GARA held 13 community-wide events this year, had more than 100 baseball/softball field rentals, hosted seven baseball and softball tournaments, and was able to accommodate more than 300 pavilion reservations, 200-plus assembly room reservations, and had over 5,000 people in attendance at the rec park for the July 4th celebration and fireworks event, and hosted the Linda Kranias 5K run.
Upgrades to GARA facilities this year included bathroom renovations, new parking lot lights, dugouts were painted and some new equipment for use within the park was also purchased.
The big edition to next year’s GARA event calendar will be hosting the Adams County Farmer’s Market at the rec park each week May through October, Peddigree said.
Major projects for next year will be replacing the roof on the amphitheater and the roof on the Weikert Baseball Field press box. GARA is looking to work with the Gettysburg Area School District technical prep program to replace the roof on the press box.
GARA also applied for an Adams Rescue and Recovery Grant to have its parking lot re-paved. One of the authority’s playgrounds is also slated to be updated with new equipment.
Peddigree also told supervisors that their student lunch program was back in full force this year. The program brought 102 school buses and more than 4,000 students to the rec park in 2022. The World Classroom program is in its second year of existence and involves students from the Midwest who are in Gettysburg to see the battlefield and are brought the rec park to have lunch.
Peddigree announced that long-time maintenance supervisor Steve Williams recently retired.
She also reminded those in attendance the Typical Life Corp. continues to work with GARA and run the facilities at the rec park.
“We also continue to have many churches use the amphitheater for outdoor services when weather allows and we hosted a pre-school graduation ceremony in 2022 at the amphitheater which was an exciting event for the children, parents and our staff,” Peddigree said.
Readers may contact Harry Hartman at hhartman@gettysburgtimes.com.
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