Recreation Authority Receives Monetary Donation for Civic Center Renovations

Worthington Lions Co-Chairman John Good and Secretary Denny Blose presents a more-than $7,000 check to Parks and Recreation Authority Secretary/Treasurer Kathy Heilman, along with Vice-Chairman Matt Minteer, Board Member Betty Hepler and Chairman Bill Hodak to go toward renovation plans to the Worthington Civic Center gymnasium and parking lot. (Missing from photo are Board Members Ed Totin and Connie Feeney)

by Jonathan Weaver

A local fundraiser received a generous donation for a central renovation project yesterday.

The Worthington Lions presented a check to the Worthington-West Franklin Parks and Recreation Authority members July 27 for more than $7,000 on behalf of alumni contributions. Money will go toward a fundraising project to renovate the Worthington Civic Center gymnasium and rear parking lot.

Recreation Authority Secretary/Treasurer Kathy Heilman accepted the donation on behalf of the authority.

“The Worthington Lions are donating these funds for the facilities improvements that they had received from alumni,” Heilman said.

The check totaled $7,261.57 toward the fundraiser.

Worthington Lions Co-Committee Chairman and 2010-11 president John Good said the money was raised within eight months. Lions members received donations in amounts ranging from $10 to $700 and agreed to give the funds toward the Civic Center renovations.

“It was unanimous,” Good said. “The Lions Club – that’s part of their job taking care of the community, as well as state and national,” Good said. “We figured the recreation authority’s going to be the center of the community – basically – since there’s athletics that take place there and the arts.”

Donations were collected until the end of June.

A total of 24 Lions Club members use the Civic Center for their business meeting the fourth Thursday of each month.

Good said Lions Club members may meet with the authority again soon for monetary contributions.

“We may work on fundraisers with the recreation authority, which would be using the facility,” Good said.

Recreation Chairman Bill Hodak was pleased with the donation.

“This donation has put us up over the halfway mark, and once you get over the halfway mark, it gets a little easier,” Hodak said. “I think you’re going to see the meter shoot up relatively-quick because we’re getting more response now from people.”

Hodak said he has seen other building users come together to support renovations.

“It’s a joint effort. It turned out to be a plus,” Hodak said.

Interested donors should contact authority members via phone at 724-297-3220 or through the group’s mailing address at 214 E. Main Street, Suite 12, Worthington, PA 16262. A community fund drive through the mail is to be initiated by authority members later this summer.