Harrison Recreation Board seeks residents to help with community events

Harrison’s Recreation Board is already looking ahead to the holidays and seeking residents interested in helping put together the township’s annual Christmas festival and other community events.

The seven-member board isn’t looking for new, formal board members, just those able to lend a hand, Commissioner Chuck Dizard said.

In addition to the board members, there are seven to eight other participants, Dizard said.

“The board is trying to expand the group,” he said. “You’ve got a handful of loyal, hard-working people. They’re making a pitch to recruit more participants. Especially with the Christmas festival coming up, there’s a lot of work to do.”

Those interested in participating are being invited to attend the board’s next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 20 at the municipal building. The board’s regular meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the same time and place.

Natalie Cale has been the board secretary since 2016. Being involved is a good way to meet new people from the community, including different age groups and from different areas of Harrison, she said.

“If you have a love for your community and you’re looking for a way to get involved, this is a way to do it,” she said. “It doesn’t require a lot of time.”

Other events the board has staged include the fall festival, Touch-A-Truck and Easter egg hunt.

The Christmas festival is returning to Heights Plaza this year, and the board is working on restoring the large Christmas wreaths to display them there.

Last year’s Christmas festival was canceled because of rain. Organizers are planning to hold this year’s event under a tent to avoid another cancellation.

Concerns about the weather contributed to the decision to not hold the fall festival this year. It had been held for two years in October in front of Highlands Middle School.

“There’s so much competition for events. The group did not feel that ours was unique enough,” Dizard said.

The group couldn’t figure out a way to hold the fall festival sheltered from the weather as it has the Christmas event, which they’ve chosen to focus on, Dizard said.

“For a small group of people, it was too overwhelming. The weather was so unpredictable. They didn’t want to take the risk,” he said.