Groundbreaking for Lions Pride Park Held March 29

More than 100 people attended a groundbreaking ceremony and reception for Lions Pride Park, a 17-acre multi-generational family recreation and educational facility located at 3129 Bradley Road, Warrington, PA. The park is a partnership between Warrington Township and the Warrington Lions Club. Local dignitaries who attended include Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R, 1st District); State Senator Maria Collett (D, 12th District);State Rep. Todd Polinchock (R, 144th District); Warrington Township Manager Barry Luber; James Furlong member of the Warrington Lions Club and chairman of campaign committee; and Ed Tustin of the Lions of Pennsylvania Foundation.

The park will be located at the former site of Twin Oaks Day Camp and will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Along with the requisite greenery and playground equipment, this park will have a Bluetooth enabled beacon app, which will serve as the park’s guidebook. Beacons will be located near informative signs and when a smartphone app detects a beacon, a description will be played through the smartphone’s speaker. The description could be as simple as “oak tree” or as detailed as a webpage. Lions Pride Park will be one of the first parks in the Philadelphia area to have this app. It will also include GPS navigation to help the visually impaired move about the park more easily.

Congressman Fitzpatrick, who addressed park supporters at the groundbreaking ceremony, stated, “I was privileged to stand alongside community leaders and members of our community at the groundbreaking ceremony for Lions Pride Park.” He continued, “The promotion of recreational activity is critically important, and I am especially proud that Lions Pride Park is Bluetooth enhanced so that all individuals—regardless of ability—can enjoy this exciting new space. I want to thank all of the community members whose work and donations made this possible.”

Park organizers are especially grateful to former Senator Stewart Greenleaf (R, 12th District), and former Rep. Kathy Watson (R, 144th District), for their support and their efforts to help secure DCNR grant funding for the project. Watson remarked, “Asa 40-year resident of Warrington, I was excited about this project because it is inclusive of our whole community and is an example of a public/private partnership involving local and state governments, local community groups and local businesses.” She continued, “Warrington has always been a very inclusive community. It is a pleasure to be able to give back to the community that I have called home for so many years.”

Senator Collett commented that, “Lion’s Pride Park will be an invaluable addition to our community. I look forward to spending a lot of time here with my family – there’s something for everyone, from my 7-year-old son to my 84-year-old father, to enjoy.” She continued, “The plans for this park are truly a testament to Warrington’s values – inclusive, accessible, and designed to bring people of all ages together to enjoy nature, and of course have fun!”

Rep. Polinchock was proud to attend the groundbreaking and noted that, “…Lions Pride Park will be a place where local families will share experiences and make many memories. It will stand as a testament to the dedicated service to community for which the Warrington Lions Club is known.”

Members of the Eagles Cheerleaders were on hand to celebrate the Lions Pride Park groundbreaking with children, adults, township officials and first responders from the surrounding community. Refreshments were generously donated by Walmart of Warrington and by Wawa of Warrington.

“This park will feature something for everyone,” said Jim Furlong, campaign chairman. “There’s a playground where kids and families of all ages and abilities can play and enjoy being outdoors and there is the amazing beacon app. This is the first of its kind in the Philadelphia. Thanks to the app, people will be able to learn more about the park’s plants, trees and amenities.”

The Warrington Township Lions Club is working to raise $1.2 million for this project. To date, $987,000 has been raised for the park. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2019. To learn more about Lions Pride Park, visit https://lionspridepark.org.

About the Warrington Lions Club
The Warrington Lions Club has been serving the community since 1941. As a chapter of Lions Clubs International (the world’s largest service organization), the Warrington Club was founded primarily to raise funds to help persons who are visually impaired. Over the years, this has evolved into giving to many local charitable organizations in Bucks County. To learn more about the Warrington Lions Club, visit https://warringtonlions.org.