Friends of Kaercher Creek Park
Donation protected
This is the story of a once proud and pristine recreational park near Hamburg, PA. A destination for people of all ages to enjoy outdoor activities. Among them: fishing, walking, picnics, boating, kayaking, a children's play area, horseshoes, quoits, basking in the sun and many other forms of good time socialization. The county of Berks abandoned the area several years ago and in 2014 I took it upon myself to mow grass to keep the area open to anyone who enjoyed fishing at Kaercher Creek....be it a lone fisherman, family or a father or mother teaching their son or daughter the excitement of fishing for the first time.
The conditions were terrible. The grass had overgrown to waist high and the walking path had become difficult to navigate. I spent many weeks, months and hours battling the overgrowth--alone--until it was in respectable condition and people could once again enjoy the fishing area without fear of stepping on snakes, stepping in holes or picking up ticks lurking in the tall grasses. In 2015, I continued my mission to do what I could to help 'Kaercher' remain accessible to those wishing to enjoy the fishing area. Cutting grass and trimming when time permitted. In 2016, my mother's alzheimers disease took a dramatic turn and she needed my assistance nearly 24/7. This meant that I could no longer devote any time to 'Kaercher'. After 2 years of hard volunteer, take-it-upon-myself work and expense, the thought of what was happening there while I couldn't attend to it was unsettling.
In May, my mother lost her long battle with alzheimers. Part of my healing process involves reconnecting with things that I had done previously, among them volunteering my time at Kaercher Creek. You can guess that after a year of going unattended, the area is right back where it was when I first began in 2014. My tools consist of an old scythe, nippers, lopper and a beat up old lawn mower (mostly due to using at Kaercher) with a hole in the side. I don't even have a trimmer to help with the high grass, hence the scythe. (UPDATE: A Stihl trimmer was donated to the effort by Nancy & Chris Vollmer) If successful through the generosity of others, my gofundme campaign will allow me to purchase the proper tools, strong equipment and gas, while continuing to donate my time and effort so anyone wishing to enjoy 'Kaercher' with family or friends, can do so.
Waiting for Berks county to to take action at Kaercher Creek Park has never been an option. In 2015, I met a father fishing with his young son. Using the area I had maintained. After chatting, he thanked me for my efforts, recalled some of the 'glory days' of the park and summed it up by saying "I love this place".
As do many others.
Thanks for considering my gofundme campaign.
The conditions were terrible. The grass had overgrown to waist high and the walking path had become difficult to navigate. I spent many weeks, months and hours battling the overgrowth--alone--until it was in respectable condition and people could once again enjoy the fishing area without fear of stepping on snakes, stepping in holes or picking up ticks lurking in the tall grasses. In 2015, I continued my mission to do what I could to help 'Kaercher' remain accessible to those wishing to enjoy the fishing area. Cutting grass and trimming when time permitted. In 2016, my mother's alzheimers disease took a dramatic turn and she needed my assistance nearly 24/7. This meant that I could no longer devote any time to 'Kaercher'. After 2 years of hard volunteer, take-it-upon-myself work and expense, the thought of what was happening there while I couldn't attend to it was unsettling.
In May, my mother lost her long battle with alzheimers. Part of my healing process involves reconnecting with things that I had done previously, among them volunteering my time at Kaercher Creek. You can guess that after a year of going unattended, the area is right back where it was when I first began in 2014. My tools consist of an old scythe, nippers, lopper and a beat up old lawn mower (mostly due to using at Kaercher) with a hole in the side. I don't even have a trimmer to help with the high grass, hence the scythe. (UPDATE: A Stihl trimmer was donated to the effort by Nancy & Chris Vollmer) If successful through the generosity of others, my gofundme campaign will allow me to purchase the proper tools, strong equipment and gas, while continuing to donate my time and effort so anyone wishing to enjoy 'Kaercher' with family or friends, can do so.
Waiting for Berks county to to take action at Kaercher Creek Park has never been an option. In 2015, I met a father fishing with his young son. Using the area I had maintained. After chatting, he thanked me for my efforts, recalled some of the 'glory days' of the park and summed it up by saying "I love this place".
As do many others.
Thanks for considering my gofundme campaign.
Organizer
Tim Othy
Organizer
Hamburg, PA
