PENDLETON — Several years ago, when Denise McKee was trying to figure out where she wanted to raise a family and make a home, she and her young daughter drove through Pendleton and instantly fell in love with Falls Park.
McKee, her husband and four children have made Pendleton their home and visit the park often to enjoy all it has to offer.
Now McKee is spearheading a newly formed group of local residents committed to making Falls Park and its facilities the best they can be for all to enjoy.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
The Friends of Falls Park program is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, which has as its mission to create a fun and positive partnership between the community and Falls Park.
The steering committee will do all it can to support and promote the mission and value of Falls Park, as well as other park facilities such as Alvin D. Brown Memorial Pool, Falls Creek Golf Club and the Sports Complex.
“Falls Park is the heart of our community,” McKee said.
The Friends of Falls Park program will serve as a partnership between the community and the park by providing an avenue for public support through labor services as well as playing host to and supporting special events.
As the group grows, the group also would like to create a junior membership program for area youth to join, McKee said.
Friends of Falls Park plans to provide members an outlet to share their civic passions about the park’s mission, and also to promote and enhance the awareness and values of the park to the community.
The committee, which is now forming, is looking for another five to eight members for a total about 20 core members, McKee said.
From the base group, it will create a board and select a committee chairman with the hope of adding more community members in the spring, when they plan to be up and running.
“We eventually want to have meetings open to the public and start growing our membership and the program,” McKee said.
The goal over the next six months is to lay the groundwork to provide volunteer services as well as funding to support park projects, needs and activities.
Organizers would like to have four committees within the Friends of Falls Park program. One group will be assigned to Falls Park and special events there, while other groups would support the pool, the golf course and the sports complex.
Managers from each of the park’s facilities can then reach out to their respective sub-group within Friends of Falls Park for support and to get work done.
Individuals, groups and businesses are invited to take part and become members of the core group, which has 11 dedicated members so far.
Anything the new non-profit group does will fall under the guidance of Falls Park officials and be subject to board approval and answerable to Ron Barnhart, park superintendent.
Barnhart had envisioned a Friends of Falls Park group for some time and believes the new program will be a great asset to the park and the community, he said.
Friends of Falls Park conducted its first call-out meeting in August and will have its second meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, at the park.
People interested in attending to explore becoming a member of the founding committee are asked to call McKee at 765-778-2222.
