A ‘bench’mark donation
Hooper Park near the Greene County Office Building in downtown Waynesburg now has another “bench”mark attraction because of a donation from Waynesburg Lions Club.
Lions Club representatives met with Greene County commissioners Monday to present a new bench that was made with recycled clean plastic, as part of the club’s ongoing initiative called the Trex Community Collection Challenge.
The goal of the challenge created by the Trex company – which offers the industry’s widest array of composite products that are available in more than 40 countries around the world – is for nonprofits to collect 500 pounds or more of recycled plastic during a six-month period, weigh and keep record of the collection each month, deliver the collected plastic to a participating retailer and report the collection totals to Trex each month.
Trex also provides recycling bins for the challenge, and once the challenge is completed the company provides participating nonprofits with an honorary bench made of recycled clean plastic.
The Lions Club enrolled in the challenge for the first time in September 2019, and by mid-December the club collected 64 clear recyclable bags of plastic weighing 571 pounds.
The club received its first awarded bench in January, placed a dedication plate on the bench and delivered it to commissioners in February, who placed and secured it in Hooper Park, as part of the commissioners’ ongoing community beautification initiative.
The Waynesburg Lions Club had to wait another six months to begin the next challenge – the six-month wait is mandated by Trex – during which time they assisted Lions Clubs in Jefferson and West Greene to reach their respective goals.
After the six-month period ended, the club started a second challenge in June and completed it by the end of July, collecting and turning in 85 bags that weighed more than 900 pounds.
The club received its second honorary bench last month following a delay caused by COVID-19. On Monday, the bench was also donated to the commissioners, who will secure it in the grounds of Hooper Park.
“The challenge is truly a great community initiative, and I am happy that the Lions Club has not only taken the Trex Community Collection Challenge, but completed it as well,” said Dorothy Ann Podolinski, Waynesburg Lions Club president. “We are proud to have been able to help other Lions Clubs in the county, and present this second bench to the commissioners as well.”
Through the challenge, participating entities may collect a wide array of clean plastic recyclable items, such as pallet wrap and stretch film, grocery and bread bags, case overwraps, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, wood pellet bags, recloseable food storage bags, produce bags, bubble wrap and air pillow and salt and cereal bags.
Podolinksi said the donations came from many donors and businesses, which enabled the Lions Club to easily reach their goal.
Commissioners Mike Belding and Betsy McClure were present to accept the latest donation, joining Podolinsky and Lions Club secretary Eleanor Chapman.
“We are very appreciative of this donation, and we thank the Lions Club for reaching out to us about this generous donation,” McClure said. “It will be a beautiful addition to Hooper Park.”
The Waynesburg Lions Club, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, continues to provide services and programs for communities around the county.
Each year, the club coordinates its annual Fourth of July Celebration at the county fairgrounds, Christmas tree and holiday nut sales, its eyeglass and hearing aid collection initiative, garage bags and broom sales, and the community Halloween parade.
The club also partakes in various other service and fundraising initiatives, including an annual Peace Poster Contest, Salvation Army bell ringing, its annual White Cane solicitation, a food booth at the annual Sheep and Fiber Festival and more.
The Waynesburg Lions Club also continues to recognize and present scholarships to its Students of the Month throughout the school year at Waynesburg Central High School.
Despite limitations caused by COVID in 2020, the Lions Club was able to partner with the county’s department of recreation to present a very successful “Sounds of Summer” concert series this past summer at the Lions Club Park, as well as a modified version of its Halloween event at the fairgrounds.
McClure and Belding said the weekly “Sounds of Summer” event also featured a Farmer’s Market additional to the market offered in downtown Waynesburg, which they said was successful.
“We’re looking forward to making the Farmer’s Market even bigger and better next year and working with Lions Club once again,” McClure said.
The club was formed and chartered by Lions Club International on Oct. 22, 1940. The club has steadfastly been committed to assisting community members in need though its many fundraising initiatives.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the club’s ongoing recycling initiative should call 724-627-5284.