50 Years of Memorable Experiences!
Thank you!
Thank you for celebrating our 50th Anniversary with us for the past 12 months!
Mission Statement: To provide memorable experiences in parks & recreation that enrich our communities.
It’s been fun looking back at the 50 years of memorable experiences we’ve shared with you.
The year began with a free party for the community on Sunday, January 16, 2011. The Community Recreation Center was decorated with gold balloons, signs, and memorabilia. Children enjoyed giant inflatatables in the gym and old-fashioned games like Twister, Jenga, checkers, Rummy, and Mancala upstairs. Free skate rental was available for everyone who wanted to glide on the rink outside the CRC that featured the 50th Anniversary logo in the ice. A warming hut offered hot chocolate and cupcakes. Hay rides took guests around Heritage Park. A photo booth in the CRC lobby was there for anyone who wanted a free souvenir of the event. A display solicited guesses about where the 25 th Anniversary Time Capsule was buried in 1986.
To commemorate five decades of serving the community, many 50th Anniversary specials were available to guests at our facilities. The Arctic Splash indoor pool had 50-cent Friday. Chevy Chase Country Club hosted a celebration in the Gable Room and Traditions at Chevy Chase had 50 th Anniversary golf rates. The Fitness Center held five free Saturday workouts in the parks. The Aquatic Center had 50-percent off Mondays, 50-cent water bottle refills, souvenir Thursdays for the first 50 guests, 50-cent popcorn day, 50 percent off ice cream sundaes, and a 50 th anniversary celebration.
On July 4, the Park District hosted a free Independence Day Celebration for the community that kicked off with the Sis Boom Bike and Pet Parade. Pets and their owners, led by mascots Petie and Willie, followed on foot and on decorated bikes, trikes, scooters, strollers, and wagons from the CRC to the “secret” location of the time capsule in Heritage Park. Park Commissioners dug up the time capsule with gold shovels in front of the Parks and Facility Maintenance building off of Wolf Road. The fun continued with refreshments and old-fashioned lawn games including water-balloon toss and relay races. The party moved to the Aquatic Center with live music and games throughout the afternoon. The Star-Spangled Banner Day ended with a beautiful fireworks display.
On Wednesday, September 21, a commemorative 50th Anniversary section was published in the Daily Herald newspapers. The issue featured Wheeling Park District history in addition to outlining plans for the future. Copies of the section are available at the Community Recreation Center. The section also will be included in the next time capsule.
From the beginning of fall on September 23, through Veterans Day, November 11, a contest entitled 50 Days of Fall ran on the Wheeling Park District Facebook page. The first person to post the correct answer to the daily trivia question won a prize. All the questions related to the history of Wheeling Park District for the past 50 years.
During the past year, Park District staff has been collecting items to include in the 50th Anniversary time capsule. The new time capsule will be buried in a secret location sometime in the spring to be brought up in the year 2036. In the meantime, don’t miss an opportunity to make your own memorable experiences at a Wheeling Park District park or program!