West Lampeter Township will host the dedication of the newly renovated Village Park on Saturday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will take place in the Lampeter-Strasburg YMCA parking lot near the Veterans Memorial.

The West Lampeter Board of Supervisors purchased the 52 acres of land many years ago with the intention of building a large park for the community. In 2009, the YMCA partnered with the township and opened the Lancaster Family YMCA's Lampeter-Strasburg branch in Village Park.

Aside from the YMCA's facilities, the rest of the park was just an open field. Several sports organizations used the park, but it was far from ideal. The township collaborated on a design that would function as a multiuse space for a variety of sports and created a nonprofit organization, the West Lampeter Township Community Foundation, to accept donations to support the project. Construction on Village Park was set to begin in 2019; however, the weather was unfavorable to the land, so it was postponed to January 2020. A couple months into construction, the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined the project again.

"Construction was delayed for three to four weeks," said DeeDee McGuire, West Lampeter Township manager. "Fortunately, we received special permission to continue work and were blessed with good weather in 2020."

Work on Village Park was completed in fall 2020. Everything in the design came to fruition except for two pavilions and an outdoor fitness center, which the township hopes to eventually build. The We're Taking the Field fundraising campaign currently stands at 83% of its $2.5 million goal. Businesses, organizations, individuals, and grants have funded improvements on Village Park in partnership with West Lampeter Township. The fundraising campaign, co-chaired by George Desmond, Geoff Beers, and Randy Moyer, continues to accept donations. As part of the fundraising effort, a special permanent Donor Recognition Sculpture is being created. All donors who contribute $500 or more will have their name listed on the sculpture.

All are welcome to attend when the township dedicates the new park, recognizes those who support its improvement, and celebrates youth activities. On the day of the dedication, Moyer and Beers will speak from 11 to 11:30 a.m., and special recognition will be given to George and Pat Desmond for their leadership support of the project. Village Park will then be open for people to walk on an extended walking trail and see the butterfly garden and a state-of-the-art playground. The YMCA will host Healthy Kids Day and Family Zumba, and the L-S Youth Soccer Association will start its season on the new fields. There will also be several food trucks for people to enjoy. There is no rain date, so the township is hoping for good weather.

"Village Park is looked at and viewed as a hub for the community," said McGuire. "We looked for ways to make Lampeter more of a village, so we built a trail for children to follow from the school campus to the YMCA facility. We wanted people to be able to access it, and we will always keep a trail intact."

For more information or to make a donation, contact McGuire at deedee@westlampeter.com. Keep up to date on events in West Lampeter Township by visiting http://www.facebook.com/wlttakingthefield.