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Connellsville Recreation board seeks sponsors to hire students for spring and summer park programs
Summary
At the Jan. 28 Connellsville City Council meeting, Recreation Board member James Flynn described sponsorship packages to fund student hires and equipment for spring and summer park activities, and said organizers plan a night market series and a March 16 fundraiser.
James Flynn, a member of the Connellsville Recreation Board, asked the City Council during public comment on Jan. 28 for support to advertise sponsorship packages that would fund seasonal student hires and park activities.
Flynn said the Recreation Board’s spring fundraiser will be March 16 at the Aaron’s Building and that the program will include returning entertainers from previous years. He described two sponsorship levels the board is offering: a $1,500 package for park signage and a $2,500 “education for play” package meant to hire three to four college or trade-school students to work across city parks. Flynn said the $2,500 package would support hiring students five days a week for six weeks and that the board plans to alternate student coverage between parks so at least two people staff each park during programming.
The board’s financial estimates, as described by Flynn, call for paying the seasonal hires $14 per hour. With payroll taxes and employer costs included, Flynn estimated the season would cost roughly $3,000 per employee for three to four employees.
Flynn also described a lower-tier $500 “Pay for the Play” sponsorship that would buy equipment for an event or session — everything from balls to arts-and-crafts supplies — and said two such sponsors had already signed on. He said proposed program hours are roughly 9 a.m. to noon and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
During the comments Flynn said he could help with interviews and onboarding and that the Recreation Board anticipates volunteer support and occasional demonstrations from local first responders and other groups. He also told council he plans to propose a “night market” for May–August, hosted in part by local volunteers, with a suggested date cadence of the second Wednesday of each month and an associated request to close one block of Carnegie Street for the events.
Why it matters: sponsors will underwrite youth programming and seasonal jobs, and the board is seeking council blessing to advertise and recruit. Council members present voiced general support during the public-comment exchange.
Organizing details the board gave the council include the March 16 fundraiser date, sponsorship pricing ($1,500 and $2,500 packages, plus $500 equipment sponsors), the $14/hour pay rate for hires, and an approximate $3,000-per-season employee cost including employer taxes. Flynn said the Recreation Board has sold most $1,500 signage packages and two $500 equipment sponsorships and hopes to sell four of the $2,500 packages to cover the planned seasonal hires.
The Recreation Board will bring any formal requests for park closures or street closures (for the night market) back to council for approval at a future meeting.
