Parks and Rec’s Programs Guide debuts today
After months of work, the City of St. Marys Parks and Recreation Department's Programs Guide is set to debut today on both Facebook and the Parks and Recreation Department's website.
The guide will provide information about programs, events, and other activities that are planned for April-December.
“Th Programs Guide is a comprehensive booklet containing information regarding the programs and activities for the 2023 season,” explained City of St. Marys Parks and Recreation Director Danielle Schneider. “This includes everything from April-December. However, we are continually adding programs as we can, so our list of programs will continue to grow even after the guide is published.”
This year, only a digital version of the guide will be available for community members. However, Schneider indicated that she plans to have one or two physical copies available at City Hall if someone wants to view it in person.
“It's about 31 pages, so in order to print it, it takes quite a bit of ink,” Schneider said.
The decision to create the Programs Guide stemmed from a desire to make all of the information about upcoming programs available in one place.
“There are so many activities and programs that we have planned,” Schneider said. “We felt it would be best to put everything into one document for the public to view at their own leisure. We normally send things out to the schools, but it seems as though things tend to be more electronically based.”
Schneider has been working on the Programs Guide for the past four to five months.
“It's our first and needed started from the ground up, so next year it should be much more easier to implement things. I'm really proud of it,” Schneider said.
Schneider expressed the hope that the guide will make it easier for community members to plan their summers months ahead.
“I've always felt that families should be aware of our programs by April at least so they can plan for babysitters, vacations, etc. It will also serve non-residents, visitors, and newcomers to be able to easily connect with us in the event they too would like to participate in any of our events or programs,” Schneider said.
Schneider hopes to continue to expand the Programs Guide in future years.
“This is the first of its kind, so we will be looking at ways to expand in the future, make it more accessible, promote it better, and have it available even earlier, if possible,” Schneider said.
Schneider expressed her gratitude to all of the sponsors, partners, and others who helped to make the Programs Guide and all of the activities planned for this year possible.
“If it weren't for them, many of the programs and events we hold would not be possible,” Schneider said.
The Programs Guide can be found on the City of St. Marys Parks and Recreation Facebook page, as well as at stmarys. recdesk.com.