Pinelands welcomes spring with local events
By: Lindsey Nolen
Tags: Easter, Events, Community, Activities, Spring

Pinelands welcomes spring with local events

The warmer weather will bring with it many reasons for the community to go outside.

Each season brings unique opportunities for community members to head to many events within the Pinelands. As spring approaches, organizations have once again put out notice of happenings.

Easter Egg Hunt

Helping to kick off the season, and giving children the opportunity to take part in a long-standing tradition, the Medford-Vincentown Rotary and Shawnee High School Interact clubs will host a community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8 at Freedom Park. Beginning at 11 a.m., children in preschool through fourth grade will be able to explore the park in search of colorful eggs with prizes inside.

The Easter Bunny will also be at this free event, and children are asked to bring their own bag or basket. The rain date is Saturday, April 15 at 11 a.m.

Flower sale

In the continued Easter spirit, Boy Scout Troop 26 of Medford will be selling flowers from Friday, April 14 through Saturday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Residents are encouraged to stop by the flower sale, taking place at Harriett’s Energy Solutions, located at 101 S Main St., to help support the troop’s fundraising efforts while also beautifying their home with spring flowers.

Breakfast with the Bunny

Also on Saturday April 15, YMCA Camp Ockanickon will host “Breakfast with the Bunny.” At this festive event featuring children’s “famous furry friend,” at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. children can participate in an egg hunt and the whole family can relax and enjoy a hot breakfast buffet, typically including eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffle sticks, fruit, muffins and yogurt.

“This event has been run for many years now. Our strategic plan as an organization involves providing opportunities for families to connect and spend time together, and also our organization operating in a more public-facing manner,” Director of Operations at Camp Ockanickon Greg Keresztury said. “We hope to serve about 300 total participants each year.”

The cost of the event is $12 for children age 11 and older, $10 for participants ages 3 to 10 and is free for children 2 years old or younger. Seating for the event is limited, so those interested in attending should register in advance by visiting ycamp.org or calling (609) 654–8225.

Earth Day yard sale

Providing the community with an opportunity to celebrate Mother Nature just one week after Earth Day, the Medford Township Clean Communities Program will host its fifth annual “Earth Day” community yard sale on Saturday, April 29 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Freedom Park, located at 86 Union St.

All residents are invited to take part in the day’s sale and browse among items that have been “pre-loved, created from repurposed materials or that are plants.”

In addition, the Woman’s Club of Medford, working along with students from Shawnee High School, will be conducting their annual spring clean-up on the same day at Freedom Park, working on the veterans memorials and other areas in the Park. Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey & Philadelphia will be at the event to collect donations and items not sold by the conclusion of the sale. The store will also collect TVs and computers to later recycle.

A shredder truck will be available from 7:30 a.m. until noon for residents to dispose of personal files and papers. Offered free of charge, there is a limit of 10 boxes or bags of files per resident.

For those wishing to host a table at the event, there is no cost, but they must provide their own tables and chairs for an approximate 10’ x 10’ location, and pre-register by contacting Beth Portocalis at bportocalis@medfordtownship.com.

Family Fun Fest

Moving into May, the 27th Annual Family Fun Fest at Murphy’s Market on Stokes Road will take place on Saturday, May 6 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Hosted by the Medford Lakes Lions Club, this annual event will feature food, prizes, games and raffles.

Otherwise known as “Murphy’s Day,” the event will also offer entertainment for children of all ages, while offering vendors of Murphy’s Markets at sponsorship tables. The Lions will be selling $1 food tickets, with most items selling for only one to four tickets.

“It’s a fun atmosphere where the community can enjoy a day of eating, entertaining their kids and possibly win a prize while knowing all the money they spend will stay in the community to help local families through the Lions Club of Medford Lakes,” program coordinator Robb Hanold Jr., said.

For more information, visit www.medfordlakeslions.org, or contact Hanold, at info@medfordlakeslions.org.

Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife

On Saturday, May 20, the 16th annual Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife Benefit will take place at the Flying W Resort from 4 p.m., until 9 p.m. Hosted by the Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, the event will include an afternoon spent sampling whiskey, wine and microbrews.

Open to those over the age of 21 only, wildlife-supporters can participate in a raffle and bid on auction items with proceeds benefiting the Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. There will also be live music, food and desserts, and attendees will be given the opportunity to meet wildlife ambassadors of the refuge.

“Cedar Run is New Jersey’s busiest wildlife rehabilitation hospital, with our staff and volunteers taking in and caring for 4,700 injured, orphaned or displaced wild animals last year alone, and we do not get one dime of financial support from federal, state or local tax dollars,” said Jeanne M. Gural, executive director at the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. “We are supported through donations and foundations only, and that is why folks should come out to support our community-based good work and have a great time doing so.”

Tickets for the event are $75 and can be purchased online at cedarrun.org. For more information, call (856) 983–3329.

Memorial Day Parade

Concluding the final weekend in May, Medford’s Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 29. Sponsored by the Medford Township Council, this free “traditional holiday parade” will include local fire trucks, organizations, the Shawnee High School marching band, police cars and more.

“In a change begun last year, VFW Post #7677 is planning to perform memorial services at each of the three Medford Township cemeteries east of Main Street, including Family Ministry at Branch and Filbert Streets, the Baptist Cemetery and the Odd Fellows Cemetery,” Beth Portocalis, assistant to Medford Township Manager Katherine Burger, said.

The Township Council invites and encourages veterans to march in the parade, or join in a vehicle. Local Scout troops and civic organizations that wish to march in the parade are also encouraged to do so and should contact Portocalis at the Municipal Offices.

Participation in the parade on decorated bicycles is highly encouraged. Bikers should report to the Memorial Middle School staging area by 10:45 a.m., and must wear safety helmets.

The Medford Police advise that there will be temporary road closures during and along the parade route. For more information concerning Medford’s Memorial Day events, please call (609) 654–2608 x 324 or e-mail: bportocalis@medfordtownship.com

MBA festival

Before spring turns into summer, the Festival of Art, Music, Wine and Classic Car Show will take place on Sunday, June 4. Co-hosted by the Medford Business Association and Cultural Arts/Arts Center, the event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature a variety of classic cars, live musicians, New Jersey wineries, food and pieces of artwork.

In attendance at the festival, which is designed for the entire family, will also be the owners of all of the cars on display. They will be able to describe their car’s preservation and capabilities.

For more information on the event, contact the festival committee at awmf@medfordbusiness.org.

Fishing Derby

The annual Take A Kid Fishing Day and Fishing Derby will be held on Saturday, June 10 at Medford Park from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Medford-Vincentown Rotary will also sponsor this event, and all area children are invited to participate.

No fishing licenses are required on this special date. Adding to the day’s friendly competition, prizes will be awarded for the largest and second-largest fish, as well as for catching the most fish.

Spring sports

When the sound of an aluminum bat is hitting a ball echoes on the baseball field for the first time, it sounds the alarm that spring is arriving. The Pinelands is home to many youth baseball and softball teams. These groups will be out on fields around the area. Check out what is going on this spring.

• The Tabernacle Athletic Association will hold its Opening Day ceremonies on April 8 at 10 a.m. at the Patty Bowker Fields in Tabernacle. The ceremony will include a parade of teams, opening-day remarks and the traditional throwing out of the first pitch for both programs. Following the ceremony, the season officially kicks off with games scheduled throughout the day. If rain forces the event to be postponed, it will be rescheduled for April 9. For more information, visit www.tabsports.org.

• The Indian Mills Athletic Association will hold its Opening Day ceremonies on Saturday, April 9 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Dingletown 2A field. All teams that will be playing baseball and softball this year will take part in the event. For more information, visit www.imaabaseball.org.

Places of worship

Check out what is going on in the Pinelands churches.

• The Crossroads Church of Shamong will have its “Good Friday Contemplative Service” April 14 at 6 p.m. The service is a time for solemn worship and reflection on the cross. The church will also hold its “Easter Sunday Celebration Service” April 16 at 9:15 a.m. It will be followed by an egg hunt for the kids with hundreds of candy-filled eggs. The church will have an ongoing “Open Prayer Gathering” on Wednesday nights is being held at 6 p.m.

• On Sunday, April 2, Church of the Holy Eucharist will hold its Spring Fling for 2017. Last year, the church had more than 200 baskets and door prizes. The church is requesting baskets of all sizes and new or like-new gifts to fill the baskets. If anyone has a business and would like to donate a basket or a gift certificate, the church would be grateful. Individuals, families and ministries who enjoy being creative may also like to donate a basket. Items can be dropped off at the Faith Formation Center, or in baskets outside the center. If anyone has any questions, email Anne Marie Kelly at akelly@holyeucharist.org or call 268–8383 ext.103.

• On March 16, The Church of Christ in Tabernacle will be holding a blood drive at Fellowship Hall from 2 to 7 p.m. The drive is being held in conjunction with the Red Cross. It is asked that people who are interested in donating blood make an appointment. To schedule one, please call 1–800-Red-Cross.

• The Tabernacle United Methodist Church will hold a spaghetti supper and silent auction Saturday, April 29 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. The event will have all-you-can-eat spaghetti, meatballs, sausage, plain and mushroom sauce, salad bar, bread (garlic and plain) and a dessert bar. The event is sponsored by Ladies Aid with proceeds benefitting Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes and other ministries of the church.