Donations fund for community picnic created

North Perry Village has created a new Community Events Fund within its budget to keep a record of money that is donated and spent for an upcoming community picnic.

A committee of residents is putting together plans to hold a community picnic on July 29 at Townline Park, located at the northern end of Townline Road along the Lake Erie shoreline. Hours for the picnic have not yet been determined.

This event had been an annual North Perry tradition before being discontinued long before the COVID-19 pandemic. In July, Village Council expressed its support for the formation of a volunteer committee to bring back the picnic.

One of the panel’s functions is to solicit financial donations to help cover the costs of food, entertainment and supplies. To assist the committee with its bookkeeping, Village Council voted unanimously at its Feb. 2 meeting to create a Community Events Fund in which money contributed to the picnic can be kept and disbursed.

North Perry resident Bryce Tischer, who serves as Picnic Committee chairman, said it’s a wise idea to direct all donations into a Community Events Fund that’s part of the village government’s budget.

“So this way … (all money contributed for the picnic) will go into that account, and we can direct who it goes to, and who’s paid out of that, so that there’s checks and balances, so the people trying to take care of this picnic are covered, without people questioning, ‘Well, where did that money come from?’ ” Tischer said.

Village Solicitor James O’Leary also reminded council about a step that he takes to keep track of financial donations made to North Perry.

“Any donation, as you know by now, that comes into the village, I’m going to do a resolution to acknowledge it,” he said. “So it will be on a public record, as part of the (council meeting) minutes.”

Tischer, back in July, said an annual community picnic or gathering is a great way for new and longtime residents of North Perry Village to meet and socialize.