The Parks & Rec. department has new offerings as the weather starts to heat up.
By: Amy Filippone, Dept. of Parks & Recreation
On Saturday, March 17, the Moorestown Parks & Recreation Department and Live Civilly will hold the “4th Annual 3-on-3 Basketball March Madness Tournament of Giving.” This all-day basketball event is for third graders through adults and will be held at the Church Street Recreation Center from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Parks and Recreation Department will put together youth teams, high school age, and adults can form their own. Deadline to register is March 12.
So gather some friends, form a team and come out to support a great cause. Cost to participate is $25 per person with funds raised going to support Live Civilly programs. Live Civilly is a non-profit organization that strives to provide solutions for hunger by empowering youth. March Madness proceeds will go to Live Civilly programs that directly support Moorestown Parks and Recreation youth programs such as: ExCELs (Extra Curricular Education and Life Skills) Snack program that provides healthy snacks for the Open Gym Recreation Program and summer lunch program, which provides camper lunches over the summer.
This event also honors Richard “Mike” Bartello, who grew up in Moorestown and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and dedicated his life to improving the lives of children. He was a teacher at Pemberton High School. He started volunteering at Moorestown’s Recreation Department as a teenager and continued throughout his life. Mike Bartello also known as “Whitey” especially loved basketball and was involved in basketball programs throughout his 70 years of volunteering with the Moorestown Parks and Recreation Department. He was a beloved Moorestown institution and a real inspiration for helping young people and the community.
Additional upcoming events include:
- Spring Tuesday Tennis with Missy Mercer:
Tennis is a sport that can be learned at any age. It’s played recreationally by people well into their eighties. The Moorestown Parks and Recreation Department offers a very reasonable and fun introduction to a sport that can be played for a lifetime.
Missy Mercer is a USPTA certified instructor. She will be teaching all ages at Jeff Young Park on Tuesdays starting March 20 for five weeks: ages five to eight from 5 to 6 p.m., ages nine to 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. and adults from 7 to 8 p.m.
- Spring Saturday Tennis with George Crouse
George Crouse has been playing tennis since the age of six. He played as a junior and in college for Fairfield University in Connecticut. He is an elite certified professional of the USPTA. He has taught tennis professionally for the last 15 years and is currently a full-time instructor at the Moorestown Tennis Club. George is experienced teaching all ages and believes tennis should be fun and challenging.
He will be teaching kids five to eight years old. He’s a father to Lauren, eight, and Alex, six, on Saturdays at Frank Fullerton/Zelley Park from March 17 to April 21 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Please visit www.moorestownrec.com for full details and to register for all programs.
