Bushy Run lost dozens of trees in a tornado that whipped through Penn Township this summer, but a community donation may help restore that loss across the 213-acre park.
Friends of PTARC — the nonprofit fundraising group associated with the Penn-Trafford Area Recreation Commission — donated $1,000 to support the state historical site in the wake of the June 26 tornado that downed power lines and uprooted trees.
The EF1 tornado was one of five to touch down in Western Pennsylvania that day. It originated in Wall, Allegheny County, and traveled about 10 miles to Trafford and Penn Township with wind speeds up to 110 mph.
Bushy Run was closed for more than two months, reopening in early September, while crews from Dayton, Ohio, tree removal company Paul Bunyan cleared the fallen trees and branches. Although the crews were paid for by the state Historical and Museum Commission, the park lost out on revenue from tours of the grounds and its museum.
‘People were really generous’
The nonprofit’s annual 5K, originally slated for July 23, was canceled because of the closure. Friends of PTARC Executive Director Linda Bires wanted to do something to help the park, which has hosted the 5K for nearly two decades.
While calling sponsors, runners and walkers to inform them of the cancellation and offer a refund, Bires offered the opportunity for them to donate the funds to Bushy Run.
Nearly all 10 sponsors and about half of the runners and walkers agreed.
“People were really generous,” Bires said. “It was very nice.”
Registration for the 5K was $25, Bires said. Sponsors donated $2,300 to the event — $1,500 of which came from NextTier Bank. After paying for the T-shirts and advertisements that were ordered before the event was canceled, the final donation to Bushy Run was $1,000, Bires said.
“(Bushy Run) is something that means a lot to this area,” she said. “It meant a lot to us to be able to contribute in some way to help restore it.”
Donation could fund new trees
Bushy Run volunteers would like to see the donation go toward planting trees in place of the ones that were lost in the tornado, museum manager Matt Adams said. New trees could be planted in the spring, pending approval from the state.
“As eager as we are to just fill in some of those blank spots, we have to put a lot of thought into it,” said Adams, referring to long-term sustainability considerations associated with new plant growth.
Other community members and local organizations have donated to Bushy Run since the tornado, including the Westmoreland City Polish Club and American Legion branches from Manor, Trafford and Penn Township. The Bushy Run American Legion, based in Penn Township’s Claridge neighborhood, donated $5,000 in August.
Residents also supported Bushy Run at its annual car cruise in September — which drew its largest crowd in more than a decade, Adams said.
With the help of these donations, Bushy Run will hardly notice the revenue drop from the park’s closure, Adams said.
“I’m sure it will be a notable dip in our income, but I don’t think it will be apocalyptic like we were scared it was going to be,” he said. “That’s because of the support we’ve had in the community. People really care about this place.”
The tornado forced Bushy Run to cancel its annual reenactment of a 1763 clash between the British and Native Americans during Pontiac’s War. Adams is working with reenactors to organize a smaller living history event.
He estimates the reenactors’ schedules may open up at the end of October or November.
“These guys want to support us,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of individuals that want to come down and do something.”