Park opens in Zelienople
ZELIENOPLE — A new workout park — dedicated to the memory of a deceased police officer — will celebrate its grand opening Saturday.
The Officer Kristine Bartman Workout Park will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the borough community park near Connoquenessing Valley Elementary.
“It's so exciting,” said park organizer and certified trainer Matt White. “It's been a long time coming. We've been working on this for three years now.”
The grand opening will have catered food, beverages, music and family-friendly entertainment. Vendor booths also will be set up and a yoga class will be taught at noon.
Two national calisthenic workout groups, Barstarzz and iMuscleUp, also will be at the park to give demonstrations.
“It's a big deal in the fitness community,” White said. “This park is one of the first of its kind in the U.S. that is being built for a community.”
White said the popularity of workout parks in Europe gave him the idea to create one in the borough. The park will have multiple pull-up bars, dip bars, and open space for push-ups, sit-ups, squats and cardiovascular exercises. The exercises aim to increase flexibility and durability.
“It gives you more functional strength,” he said. “There is also less injury risk.”
White said although workout classes have not been scheduled, he plans to get people together for scheduled workouts. However, he will not be teaching the classes due to a noncompete clause in his teaching contract at a gym in Wexford.
Children also can use the workout park, which will be open from dawn until dusk and is free to use.
Saturday's event will be a picnic-style event and visitors will not be required or expected to work out.
“We're going to have a slack line, disc golf and cornhole there,” White said. “We just want to get away from hanging out inside and promote healthy living.”
The park took more than five months to build. Work started in November around Thanksgiving. After the snow from winter came and went, work continued and was completed in late April. Dip bars, pull-up bars and mulch were installed in the area.White said two dump truck loads of mulch were donated by McClymonds Supply & Transit and Cranberry Supply Company.The park is named after Kristine Bartman, an officer for the Evans City-Seven Fields Regional Police Department who died last July in a motorcycle crash in Pittsburgh.White was “a close friend” of Bartman. He said she was involved with the community park when she wasn't on duty.White also said Bartman's widower, Zachary, made a donation toward the park's completion in her honor.“The attitude of the park is embodied with her,” he said. “She was an amazing woman. She was focused on hard work, dedication and never giving up.”The park was funded by White, donations and fundraisers. White said the project received about $15,000, “99 percent” of which came from donations. The goal number was to raise $11,000. He said the extra money will be used for the park's expansion, which will not impede upon the neighboring community park.
