LAURINBURG — Scotland County Parks and Recreation is finding new and innovative ways to keep the community engaged despite the setbacks provided by the pandemic.
With the first day of spring around the corner, the department has been developing various new activities that the community can partake in while remaining safe. These activities include “Foot-Golf,” a crossover between soccer and golf. An 18-hole course is currently in development at the Morgan recreation complex.
“We’re excited about that opportunity,” Director Bryan Graham said. “I think that it is something that can grow into tournament-style play in the near future. It would be pretty exciting to go out and spend quality time with your kids, even your teenagers, and have a competitive atmosphere going on.”
One of the points of emphasis for the department is providing activities that engage and appeal to everyone.
As opposed to coordinating activities at the Morgan Complex for Easter, which has been done in previous years, there is currently an alternative activity under development. Easter eggs will be hidden throughout all of the parks in the county, to be discovered by community members taking leisurely strolls through the parks. The gifts found inside these Easter eggs will be redeemed at the Scotland Place office. While it is different from Easter activities coordinated in the past it will allow people to do an Easter egg hunt without having to compromise their safety in the process.
“We are trying to diversify our programs through this pandemic while staying smart and safe at the same time,” Graham said. “We are just going to continue to evolve … youth sports were canceled due to safety concerns, and that puts a damper on our athletic department. Our senior programs have taken a hit as well, we had multiple overnight out-of-state trips planned for seniors that we had to bring to a halt for safety.”
People can look forward to more outdoor activities and outdoor exercise programs coordinated by the office. The department is also looking into adding more E-Sport activities.
“Electronic sports which are an online platform we’re in the process of developing so kids can play in season, in tournament format online through video-game consoles,” Graham said.
For information, contact Scotland County Parks and Recreation at 910-277-2585.
Jalen Head is a spring intern from The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Leave a Reply