Park Director Urges Citizens to 'Have Investment' In Morrisons Cove Memorial Park

Chuck Gojmerac is the executive director of the Morrisons Cove Memorial Park. Gojmerac is a dedicated director and is excited for what the park has to offer this summer.

“Our biggest event is the Cove Carnival,” Gojmerac said.

Previously called the J4 Celebration, the Cove Carnival, held this week, is a big deal for the Morrisons Cove area. The carnival is a big money-raising event for the park, which is important because the park doesn’t receive government funding.

“Last year after everything was said and done, we had a gross profit of around $60,000,” Gojmerac said. “After we paid the vendors and the entertainment company that provided the rides we got a net profit of $19,000.”

Despite the success that the carnival has become for the area, the park was not always able to make ends meet. Before Gojmerac came to be the executive director the park was “mismanaged,’’ according to Gojmerac.

Gojmerac, a 1993 graduate from Juniata College, didn’t start out as a director for the park.

“I worked at Hollidaysburg Trust for a little while,” Gojmerac said. “Then I made the transition over to work at Spring Cove School District as their athletic director. I liked working with kids and I knew the ins and outs of how to manage teams.”

After working at Spring Cove, one of Gojmerac’s friends, who is a teacher at the Spring Cove School District, pointed him in the direction of the park.

“He said that I would be perfect for this position considering my background in finance,” Gojmerac said.

After Gojmerac took the job, he worked tirelessly to turn around the state of the memorial park.

“For some time there we were in the red there,” Gojmerac said. “We had to let some people go and shrink the staff. We tried to come up with more events to be held and after a while, we started to slowly get back in the green.”

Gojmerac believes there are many aspects of the park that are attractive to people all over Pennsylvania.

“We hold AAU Volleyball tournaments here over the summer,” Gojmerac said. “We have people who come from Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, places that have way more money. They are always surprised that we are able to have such an amazing facility. We have a 10-lane bowling alley. We have a state-of-the-art gym. We have a pool with newly added slides. All in all, the Cove and the people in this area make the park special and unique. Everyone who reads this paper should take an interest and should have an investment in this park.”

Gojmerac is passionate about his job. Being a park director is a labor of love for Gojmerac.

“I certainly don’t do this for the paycheck,” Gojmerac said. “We hold camps here and I love kids, so when I see those kids and they come up to me and call me Mr. Chuck or Mr. Gojmerac and give me a hug or a high five, that really makes it all worth it.”

Park events, Cove Carnival

Gojmerac’s dedication to the park has translated into an increased interest in the park and its activities. The park holds summer camps and will continue to hold summer camps throughout the summer, including “Game Mania” week, where campers will be able to play board games from July 19 through the 23.

The carnival also manages to draw in between 1,000 and 3,000 people throughout the entire week, according to Gojmerac.

The carnival included the Little Miss Morrisons Cove Pageant on July 11 and the Ag Parade on July 12.

Today, July 14 will be “Thirsty Thursday” water bottles will be given away, and at 7 p.m., the Bone Jacked Band will play.

On July 15 at 7 p.m., the Lawn Darts band will play followed by fireworks at 10 p.m. There will be a night swim.

July 16 will be the last day of the carnival and the Pines Band will play at 7 p.m. Half-price wristbands will be available to the first 100 guests who enter courtesy of Ritchey’s Dairy.