Allen Park Women’s Club Celebrates 75th Year

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(L to R): Co-Presidents Sandy Gullotti, Shannon Neubauer, and City Rec Director Julia Ciesla-Hanley giving the Mayor's proclamation.
(L to R): Co-Presidents Sandy Gullotti, Shannon Neubauer, and City Rec Director Julia Ciesla-Hanley giving the Mayor’s proclamation.

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Allen Park Women’s Club

Recently, the Allen Park Women’s Club gathered at the Lakewood Rod & Gun Club to fete their 75th Anniversary. Co-Presidents Shannon Neubauer and Sandy Gullotti led the dinner celebration by giving a brief history of how the women’s club was started and its evolution to present day. Just since the year 2000, the Club has purchased close to $100,000 worth of playground equipment, benches, picnic tables and trees to help beautify Allen Park. Julia Ciesla-Hanley, City Recreation Director, was on hand to present a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Sam Teresi, that April 4th will now be known as Allen Park Women’s Club Day.

Following the moving invocation given by Betty Johnson, the club dined and enjoyed conversation with current and former members. City of Jamestown Parks Manager, John Williams, spoke about the value and importance of how the Allen Park Women’s Club benefits Allen Park. Williams presented the attendees with an architectural design of a landscape structure that depicts the pictorial and written history of the Allen Park Women’s Club. This structure will be built for people to walk through as they enjoy the beauty of Allen Park.

Neubauer and Gullotti honored the commitment of past presidents and invited those present to join them. Carol Drake, club Secretary, was also honored with flowers for her work and dedication to the APWC and other organizations. Drake was named Jamestown Interclub Council’s Woman of the Year in April.

The architectural design presented by John Williams. The new structure to be built in Allen Park that shows the history of the Allen Park Women’s Club.

Guest attendees, such as Russell Diethrick, and other club members, shared their memories of Allen Park and what it has meant to them from childhood to present day. Most common reminiscing was about the old swimming pool in the creek area and the horse rides around the park. The evening closed with a sing-a-long of an original song written by the late Gladys Peterson to the tune of “God Bless America.” The song was led by Marie Lindahl and Nancy Wilson and was dedicated to all of the dearly departed members of the Allen Park Women’s Club.

The Allen Park Women’s Club makes charitable donations to area organizations year round and will continue to fundraise for that purpose as well as for the benefit of Allen Park. The club members make homemade fudge to sell along with other concession items at the Summer Bandshell Concert Series, as one of their most popular fundraisers. The 2017 concert series begins on June 14 at the Allen Park Bandshell and continues through August 9.