A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Aug. 24 at the Wood Street Playground in Whitehall, during which the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce presented a Legacy Grant check to cover the renovations.

Whitehall Township Parks and Recreation members were on hand to accept the check, in the amount of $2,200, which will be used to pay for painting of the basketball court, a new backboard with hoop and a pickleball court.

Kylie Adams-Weiss, WACC assistant vice president, spoke during the check presentation.

“Whitehall Township Parks and Recreation is crucial to the health and wellness of our society, our community, as they want to make sure [the parks] are maintained and supported,” she said.

State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D- 133rd, thanked the Chamber of Commerce and commended Whitehall Township for doing a wonderful job on the park upgrades.

Whitehall Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. told the group of frequent visits to the Wood Street Playground as he was growing up.

Brandon Hibbler, township bureau chief of recreation, said the basketball backboards and hoops were taken down a few years ago after the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced plans to utilize the property for a Route 22 off-ramp. A timeline on the ramp project had not been finalized, so plans to revitalize the park got underway. Currently, one backboard and hoop are in place, with the hopes of adding a second.