Mission:
The Old Orchard Beach Recreation Department is committed to developing and maintaining programs that emphasize safe and healthy environments for all participants. We value good sportsmanship, respect, responsibility and team-work and strive to foster opportunities to increase self esteem in our community.
We strive to provide quality programs at affordable prices for all community members. With the collaborating effort of the Recreation Depart ment and the Public Works Department we strive to provide safe and quality facilities for ever citizen of Old Orchard Beach.
What We Do:
Old Orchard Beach Recreation Department encompasses four different divisions: Recreation, Senior, Community Events, Child Care.
Recreation Division: We strive to provide leisure and enrichment activities that will meet or exceed the needs of the citizens of Old Orchard Beach. The Department focuses on offering a variety of programs to serve various populations, from youth to adults, within the community. We strive to provide all programs in a financially responsible manner. The Recreation Department will continue to be guided by a cost-of-service principle with regard to our rates and fees. We are committed to continuously improving all programs, while helping to add value and improve quality of life to our participants. Through collaborating efforts with area communities, our youth are able to compete in various sports programs such as: Football, Soccer, Cheering, and Basketball. In addition, we offer youth and adult enrichment
programs, trips, and classes throughout the year. Our department is looking forward to expanding our services in the coming year with new sports programs for teens and adults, summer youth sports camps, teen trips and programs, and after-school enrichment classes. Our youth sports program has undergone many changes in the later months of 2009. A much improved product for the coming year is on its way with the addition of a new youth sports handbook, coaches’ manual, and a more defined youth sports philosophy for the Town.
Senior Division: Our 50 +/- Club has over 100 members who are able to choose from multiple programs on a weekly basis. Our programs that are geared toward adults over the age of 50 are a work in progress. We are excited for the expansion we experienced in 2009. The addition of a 14-passenger mini-bus in 2008 has afforded us the opportunity and flexibility to improve our programming options and the ability to cater our activities to the needs and desires of each individual group. Along with nearly 100 annual program options, members of the 50 +/- group benefit from quarterly newsletters, meetings to share program ideas, and also from the use of the Recreation Department’s fitness equipment. This year was spent building a strong foundation of dedicated followers, and the coming year will bring the
expansion of overnight and extended travel options to this aging and active population.
Community Events Division: Our department coordinates and/or assists in several special events throughout the year. Some of the major community events include: Summer Concerts in the Park, Egg-stravaganza, 4th Grade Theme Trees, Seaside Art Festival, Christmas by the Sea, Christopher Cash Memorial Race, and Jimmy the Greek’s “Frozen 4 Miler.” In addition, our department has been instrumental in the newly formed group, OOB365. We have participated in the coordination of such programs as: Taste of OOB, Autumn Celebration, Woofstock, and First Night. We look forward to continuing these efforts and building on this success in the coming year with Winter Carnival and more.
Child Care Division: We are proud of growth and quality of our Gull Care After-School Program. Coordinated by the Assistant Director, Nikki Duplisea, we strive to provide a program that meets and/or exceeds the State of Maine Day Care Regulations. As a Recreation Department, we are not obligated to meet such high regulations; however, we do so in order to provide quality care for our students and families. Other child care opportunities include: School Vacation Camps, Teacher Workshop Days, Early Release Days, Summer Day Camps, Gull Challenge, and Before-School Care. This coming summer will bring about some new and innovative changes that we believe will even better serve our community and improve the overall quality of our summer day camp experience.
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