CONFLUENCE ― The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District will host its 50 th annual Special Recreation Day at the spillway recreation area of the Youghiogheny River Lake dam, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.
The Special Recreation Day is an event tailored specifically to provide a range of outdoor activities and games for children and adults with special needs.
The Youghiogheny Lake staff organizes the yearly event with several other partners, including the Lions Club International, Friends for the Youghiogheny River Lake, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Waterways Conservation Officers, Turkeyfoot Valley High School, and other volunteers.
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“I look forward to Special Recreation Day every year for many reasons. I love the smile it puts on each person and how it brings the community together,” said Shaylin Dresher, a park ranger with the Youghiogheny River Lake, who has also been the lead organizer for the event this year. “Most of all, this event makes the outdoors accessible for everyone.”
The park rangers, local partners and volunteers will host various activities, including fishing at a pond stocked with trout, a tractor hayride with music on board, face painting, carnival games, and boat rides on the lake. The event will provide snacks and lunch. Youghiogheny rangers expect more than 300 people from local schools and life skills day centers to attend.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District has operated the Youghiogheny River Lake and Dam since 1944. In addition to providing residents with outdoor activity areas, building a dam along the Youghiogheny River allows the corps to manage water levels, reduce downstream flooding, address and contain pollution concerns, and provide hydroelectric power to 8,000 homes.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Youghiogheny River Lake hosts 50th Anniversary Special Recreation Day
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