Chamber Communications
Park Day planned for June 8
The Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the first Park Day celebration from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 8. The event will be followed at dusk by the city’s second annual Movie In the Park Night.
"We have an excellent park in Bowling Green," said Jerry Hickerson, a longtime chamber board member. "It’s beautiful. We want more people to come out and see what it has to offer."
"These are the kinds of things that make a community," said Chamber President Chad Perkins. "It really makes for an all-day event if you choose to, for almost nothing. There’s very little cost – only if you choose to eat. That’s great."
Park Day will feature three free Saturn Amusements carnival rides – Kiddie Swings, Kiddie Cars and Kiddie Fish – for children. The Trailerman Trailer Express train from Louisiana will offer rides operating on the park’s walking path. Hot dogs, hamburgers and porkburgers along with chips and soda pop will be available for a small price.
"A lot of kids can’t afford to go on rides," Hickerson said. "That’s a big expense. We wanted to offer kids and their families a break by making the rides free."
A homemade ice cream booth is planned, and other vendors are welcome. For-profit booths will be charged $20 each. There will be no fee for non-profits and groups that aren’t selling anything.
Corporate donations have come from Walmart, which contributed an $1,800 Community Giving Grant to cover more than 90 percent of the expenses, and from County Market, which plans to distribute 500 apples and 500 oranges on the day of the event.
Perkins emphasized that Park Day will not interfere with any other chamber functions throughout the year.
Proceeds will be used for other chamber events and activities, such as the Champ Clark Heritage Festival in September. The organization this year also awarded four scholarships to graduating Bowling Green High School students.
Hickerson said Park Day will also give visitors a chance to check out local businesses. "We’re trying to do things to help the community and bring people into Bowling Green," he said. " We want to keep the businesses in our area prospering."
The city-sponsored movie will be "Rise of the Guardians," a 91-minute, PG-rated animated feature that tells the story of a group of heroes who join forces for the first time to battle an evil spirit that wants to take over the imaginations of children around the world.
In the past few years, the city has spent thousands of dollars on parks and recreational improvements. City Park is the largest green space in Bowling Green, and features shelter houses, picnic areas, a walking trail, a swimming pool, sports fields and other attractions.
More information is available by calling the chamber at (573) 324-3733.
2013 Chamber Scholarship Winners
l-r: Chamber President Chad Perkins, Shanion Brown, Brian Moore, Tara Farris, Haley Kirk, Chamber Treasurer Jack Jones