The Whitin Community Center’s popular Cars in the Park, a benefit golf tournament and the Greenway Challenge will add more sizzle to a red-hot summer in the Blackstone Valley, starting August 19th.

The 9th annual version of Cars in the Park will take place on Saturday, August 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in 7.5-acre Whitin Park, 60 Main St., Whitinsville. The car, truck and motorcycle show will feature Best in Show, twenty-five trophies, door prizes, Show Dash Plaques and Goodie Bags for the first fifty pre-registered vehicles, food trucks, event vendors, a 50/50 raffle, entertainment and more.

Admission is free for spectators.

Money raised for this year’s event will support the Whitin Community Center, a nonprofit 501©(3) organization that is committed to the health and well-being of individuals and families and to building a strong community in the Blackstone Valley. “The Gym” has been serving the Blackstone Valley for one hundred years and offers social, recreational, educational and outreach programs that bring residents of all ages and backgrounds together.

Persons who volunteer to help with the event receive free refreshments and a free T-shirt. Volunteer tasks include volunteer coordinator, ballot input (must be experienced in Excel), park cleanup, setup, take down, collecting vehicle fees, collecting donations, handing out programs and fliers, running the 50/50 raffle and park maintenance.

To sign up as a volunteer, go to https://app.racereach.com/event/cars-in-the-park/volunteer.

Tammy Bodwell is Committee Chair for Cars in the Park, according to Emily Day, a communications intern with the WCC.

Benefit Golf Tournament is back August 28th

The Whitin Community Center’s Benefit Golf Tournament returns on Monday, August 28th at Whitinsville Golf Club on Fletcher Street. Registration starts at 10:45 a.m. with lunch served from 10:45 to noon Tee off is at 12:00 p.m. and dinner will be served immediately following the event.

The tournament will also feature a Hole-in-One contest, shootout contest, putting contest, and gifts.

Register online at www.WhitinCommunityCenter.org (programs>Golf) or in person at the WCC Member Services Desk. Cost is $800 per foursome or $200 per golfer and includes lunch, eighteen-hole play and “loads of fun.”

Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Contact [email protected] for more information.

The Whitin Community Center is the Blackstone Valley’s most complete family and recreation center with two swimming pools, a gym, fitness center, early learning programs, summer camps and a seven and a half acre park.

Greenway Challenge coming in September

The Whitin Community Center announces that registration is now open for the 2023 UniBank Greenway Challenge, New England’s premier adventure race to promote the recreational quality of life in the Blackstone River Valley.

The first Greenway Challenge was run in 2001 as an offshoot of “Expedition 2000” sponsored by the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. Expedition 2000 was comprised of a group of men and women who by canoeing the entire length of the Blackstone River put a spotlight on the emerging recreational opportunities in the region.

The purpose of the UniBank Greenway Challenge is to further this initiative.

This year’s event will be held on Saturday, September 30th and will feature fun and exciting run, bike and paddle segments, which will take athletes from Diamond Hill Park in Cumberland, Rhode Island up through the Blackstone Valley to the finish line at the Whitin Community Center—approximately fifty-one miles later.

Street running, trail running, paddling, street bike and mountain bike components are all part of the event.

Teams will be comprised of one to eight individuals with team members doing just one or two portions each, up to persons conquering all segments themselves! Athletes can compete in any of the following categories: Individual Participant (Male or Female); 2-4 Person Team (Male, Female and Co-Ed); and 5-8 Person Team (Male, Female, Co-Ed and Corporate).

Anyone seeking a team can register as such at www.greenwaychallenge.org/register.

The Greenway Challenge is looking for volunteers to staff the start and finish lines, transition sites, and for photographers to take pictures on the course. Go to www.greenwaychallenge.org/volunteer or contact Monique Boucher-Adams at 508-234-8184 Ext. 121 or visit [email protected].

The WCC thanks these sponsors for supporting the event:

UniBank; Koopman Lumber & Hardware; The Osterman Family Foundation; NEDT Inc.; Gaudette Insurance Agency; Ski With Charlie; Massachusetts DCR; Rhode Island D.E.M. and BV New England Mountain Bike.

Contact Tammy Bodwell at508-234-8184 Ext. 118 or [email protected] for more information about sponsorship opportunities.