Spring has arrived, and I encourage all to get outside and enjoy our wonderful Voorhees parks.
Connolly Park on Centennial Boulevard is a 49-acre oasis. Acquired by the township in 2001, it contains two dog runs, one for large dogs and one for small; a half-mile lighted walking and jogging track that includes workout stations; a large grass field for multi-sport use; a cricket pitch with synthetic turf; an open-air picnic pavilion with tables adjacent to the playground; and a tot lot. Connolly Park is also the home of our summer concert series.
Lions Lake Park is on Dutchtown Road off of Route 73 and has a community banquet facility. There is a playground with an adjacent open-air pavilion an picnic tables and the park is also home to the Voorhees Girls Softball Association and four, fully lighted fields.
Kirkwood Park is located along Laurel Oak Road behind the Holiday Inn Express. It has a lighted softball field, paved walking path, three full and recently-resurfaced basketball courts, a children’s playground, a multi-purpose field, two bocce ball courts, picnic tables and restrooms. The township also preserved the adjacent 14-acre Kirkwood Forest, enhancing and ensuring the beauty of that natural setting.
The Maiaroto Sports Complex on Echelon Road is home to the Voorhees Soccer Association and hosts the annual Memorial Day soccer tournament, one of the largest in the country. The complex has seven fields – including three with artificial turf – and was recently expanded with improved lighting. It also offers two pickleball courts, a tennis court and a full basketball court, as well as a fully operational snack bar with restrooms.
The Rabinowitz Baseball Complex on Kresson Road is home to the Gibbsboro Voorhees Athletic Association (GVAA). It has six fenced baseball fields and Sprinturf Diamonds have been installed on the Babe Ruth and majors fields. New LED lighting was added this year, expanding the number of fully lighted fields to four. The complex also includes a children’s playground with swings, a snack bar and restrooms.
The Giangiulio Recreation Complex along Victor Boulevard is home to the Eastern Junior Vikings Football and Cheer and Voorhees Lacrosse Inc. The complex includes a lighted athletic field with synthetic turf for year-round use, a new lacrosse wall with the Voorhees Lacrosse logo that was installed last year, a baseball field with lights and a fenced playground, a snack bar and restrooms.
John Hale Sr. Memorial Park is at the site of Voorhees’ former Department of Public Works sewer plant on West End Avenue in the Ashland section of town. In partnership with the Ashland Residential Coalition (ARC), and with a grant from the Camden County Open Space Advisory Board, a playground with swings and picnic pavilion was installed. The park connects to Ashland Woods, a 20-acre tract of forest permanently preserved by the township.
The historic Stafford Farm was acquired by Voorhees in 2004, in partnership with the county and state. Half of the 140-acre property will always be preserved as open space and is home to the Stafford Stagecoach Walking Trail and a disc golf course. The other half of the farm is permanently preserved for agricultural and farming use. In March 2021, the agricultural portion was purchased by Bill Green, who invested significant funds to improve the site and make it the home of Saddlehill Winery Vineyards. The winery’s grand opening was April 10.
The neighborhood playgrounds maintained by the township are Green Ridge playground on Round Hill Road – where a picketball court has been added – Elliot playground on Elliot Drive in the Beagle Club development, Sandpiper playground on Willowbrook Way in the Avian section and Cornell Drive playground in Lake Villa. Voorhees also maintains one full and two-half basketball courts at the Sheppard Road Basketball Park off Centennial Boulevard.
The township committee will continue to work to improve our parks system. All parks are smoke free and maintained without the use of pesticides.
