Members of Hartsville Young Professionals presented City of Hartsville representatives with a check to be used for improvements at the Byerly Park Dog Park. Pictured is Claire Zeigler (holding Benji), Natalie Zeigler, Russell Slatton (holding Snickers), Adam Bedard (holding Vader), Kelly Benton, Lauren Baker, Eli Jones, Nick Greenfield (holding Trudy), Rachel Greenfield.
The City of Hartsville Parks and Recreation Department received a donation from proceeds of the Doggie Dash 5K to make improvements to the Dog Park at Byerly Park. This 5K race was hosted by the Hartsville Young Professionals in August 2019 in Downtown Hartsville. The group raised a total of $1,752.76 from their first 5K race to present to the Dog Park. The Hartsville Young Professionals Board came out to the Dog Park on January 15th, 2020 to present the check to City of Hartsville representatives.
Hartsville Young Professionals 2019 Board President, Kelly Benton, said, “Members of Hartsville Young Professionals noticed there was a huge need at the Dog Park at Byerly Park and decided that we were the group that could do something about it. This 5K race was successful because of the community’s involvement and we were all so excited to help the Parks and Recreation Department make these improvements to the Dog Park.”
Parks and Recreation Manager, Adam Bedard, was thrilled to receive the donation from this organization. Bedard said, “It is amazing how many people in our community take interest in the facilities that we offer. We are hopeful that with the improvements we make to the Dog Park because of these funds, more people will bring their dogs out to enjoy our facilities.”
The Parks and Recreation Department plans to make several needed improvements to the Dog Park. The list of improvements includes purchasing more benches, adding ramps and other features for the dogs to play on, and adding a shade to make the park more comfortable for patrons in the heat of the summer. The Department has already begun adding more lighting to the area which will make it safer for guests that use the Dog Park in the early mornings and late afternoons.
Byerly Park is located at 700 Russell Road. The Dog Park can be found between the track and field area and the walking track. The Dog Park features an area for large dogs and an area for small dogs.
If anyone is interested in making additional donations to improvements at the Byerly Park Dog Park, they can stop by the Coach T.B. Thomas Sports Center, call 843.339.2878, or email parks@hartsvillesc.gov.