In 2002, a committee of residents, members of the school district, and environmentalists met to discuss Chippewa Township’s recreational needs. 17 years later, thanks to research, grants, the help of volunteers and donations, Wright Field at Veterans Park is enjoyed by thousands each year. It’s estimated that 25,000 people use the park annually – that’s more people than can fit in PPG Paints Arena.
That’s the summarized story of how Wright Field at Veterans Park came to be. The full story is a testament to the power of teamwork, community, and foresight.
“The first step in making the park a reality was to set up a committee of people in the community to talk about the recreation needs we had,” explain Chippewa Township Manager Mark Taylor. “We also held a survey for residents asking for their feedback.”
Two years later, the township partnered with Blackhawk School district to do a Park and Open Space study which looked at the number of playgrounds, baseball fields, basketball courts, and other recreational facilities in the entire area. The result of this study was a master plan called the Adopted Chippewa/Blackhawk School District Regional Recreations, Park, and Open space plan.
Using the plan, Chippewa Township approached the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to apply for a grant to purchase a property. The 125 acres where the park is located became available and was purchased in 2008.
The community came together once again to form the Chippewa Park Core Planning Committee which was comprised of individuals from the area youth and school district programs. The committee created a plan for how to best use the acreage acquired.
“The property was sort of broken up into two areas, one smaller and one larger, so we decided to tackle the smaller area first and put baseball fields there,” explained Taylor.
Construction of the baseball fields was made possible thanks to a DCNR grant. The township also received assistance from a Federal Military program – Innovative Readiness Training – to help with construction, which is why it’s named Veterans Park. Chippewa Township is the only municipality in the area to receive the assistance of this program. By 2013, two infields were installed along with fencing, back stops, a parking lot, sidewalks, and a pavilion, and trees were planted. The IRT program was brought in again in 2014 to install storm water retention to prepare for the installation of the multipurpose fields.
“We decided to put in multipurpose fields because they could be adjusted in the future as the needs of the community were further judged based on the usage of the fields.”
Installation of the multipurpose fields, parking, and walkways began in 2015. The Wright family and their business W.D. Wright Contracting Inc. donated 100% of the labor for construction to benefit the community. The donation inspired the naming of the facility as Wright Field.
Today, the park is utilized by dozens of local teams and organizations and thousands of people. From youth and adults playing their hearts out on the fields, to their families cheering them on, to individuals enjoying the walking trail, to the community attending one of the many events held at the park, the park has something for everyone.
It has all been made possible thanks to the grants from the DCNR, the military assistance through the IRT program, the time and dedication of all the volunteers, and donations from Bowser Hyundai, WesBanco, the Wright Family, bleachers from Blackhawk School District and a 100 Acre Nature Park from Susan Sahli.
So what’s next for Wright Field at Veterans Park?
“We’d love to add playgrounds and one day have something like a splash pad,” said Taylor. “We’d also love to have an indoor facility, something like a recreational center, with basketball courts, volleyball courts, and classrooms for aerobic exercises and the like.”
Learning the story of how Wright Field at Veterans Park came together thanks to the community’s involve-ment, it is apparent that anything is possible. ′
