BUREAU OF RECREATION
Winter & Spring Programming
The Winter/Spring Program begins, the second week of January and runs to mid-March, approximately ten (10) weeks. Programs of orientation, certification, education, arts and crafts, cultural and general recreation are scheduled at elementary school gymnasiums, in the Reservoir Park Mansion, at the Brownstone Building, and in additional Harrisburg facilities, as needed. Special events were organized for the season and with input from the participants.
Highlights and Achievements
Recreation Sites
rom mid-January to mid-March, Woodward School, Steele School, and Hamilton School operate for general recreation Monday through Thursday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Lincoln operate two nights per week and Downey operated for only one night per week, 5:30pm to 8:30pm. For no charge to participants, youth, ages 5-16, participate in activities such as arts and crafts, kickball, soccer, basketball, golf instruction, tennis instruction, and youth basketball. No other City, county or state agencies consistently offer the majority of their programs free or for very minimal costs.
Aerobics
Free Low-Impact Aerobics for adults operated as a continuing program at the Brownstone Building in Reservoir Park. Toning and Floor Exercise for adults are scheduled as a continuing program at the Brownstone Building in Reservoir Park. These programs ran from January through December with breaks only for the holiday season. Each class is offered for two (2) one-hour sessions per week. Again, Kick-boxing and Cardio-Step attracted many new participants looking for free, high-intensity classes. Body Sculpting, 2 days per week and a second session of kick-boxing was added; classes in 2001 were offered 6 days per week.
Black History Special Events
The Annual Black History Month Community Art Exhibit organized by the Art Association of Harrisburg and the Parks and Recreation Department was held in February and March at the Reservoir Park Mansion. In addition, the Black History Month Student Art Exhibit from Hamilton Elementary School is traditionally exhibited in the Government Center Atrium in February and March. Also, the Bureau organizes the Black History Showcase of Talent to a standing-room-only crowd at the Forum. To help raise money for the Showcase, the Black History Month Gala is organized at the Hilton Hotel. Over 700 community members attended the semi-formal dance in February to kick-off Black History Month activities. Recreation site activities repeated from last year included adult panelists that visited elementary school to discuss Harrisburg when they were young, Ngozi drummers and dancers at Hamilton School, Vision Quest Buffalo Soldiers Marching Troupe and a positive rap artist, both also at Hamilton, who delivered anti-drug messages to the site participants. Black History videos and speakers were scheduled at the Brownstone for the general public and recreation site participants.
Computer Classes
Latch-key instructional computer classes are organized for ten students per class for six weeks with five new computers and printers purchased with funds from the City, the Harrisburg Parks Partnership, and Verizon. Students in 5th through 8th grades, recommended by their teachers, are transported from school to the Brownstone and home following classes at no cost to the students. Snacks are provided during each class with graduation ceremonies scheduled at the completion of each class at the Brownstone Building during January, February, and March. For the second year, Senior Computer classes are offered at 10:00am and noon free of charge to area seniors. The theme of the student computer classes involved the incorporation of music with computers.
Annual Easter Egg Hunt
The Touch 1400 AM radio station collaborated with the Department to attract over 5000 children and parents to Reservoir Park to hunt eggs, visit costumed characters and clowns, visit petting zoos, meet Park C. Squirrel, and take home treat bags, candy, and seed gardens. For the second year, pony rides, Bunny Bingo, and The Harrisburg School District Health Fair were a part of the day’s activities.
Park Clean-ups
In April, when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania designated a “Keep PA Clean Day,” volunteers from the community, neighborhoods, or City agencies volunteered to clean Reservoir Park by picking up trash, weeding, and spreading tan-bark. This year the Visions Agency again assisted the Department. Following the clean-up, an outdoor lunch was served at no cost to the volunteers at the rear of the Brownstone.
Golf, Tennis, Soccer
Indoor programs in these sports were offered at the recreation sites to offer beginner instruction and continuous skill sessions until late spring when summer sessions would be scheduled in the city parks. At the Brownstone Building the golf program attracted over 100 plus youth due to expanded staff and transportation from a generous $40,000 grant from the United States Golf Association Foundation. The indoor tennis program was conducted at the Hershey Racquet Club and attracted 60 youth.
Lottsville Biddy Basketball
Teams of coed players were organized at each recreation site; players, ages 6-14, played league games, playoffs, and finals; the top two teams in each age group earned individual trophies and were treated to a pizza party. This league was co-sponsored by the City and The Lottsville Neighborhood Group. The components stressed were positive recreational activities, parental involvement, passing grades in school, tutoring if needed, and cooperation and good sportsmanship.
You can find out more about other seasonal programs by following the appropiate links below.