(12/6) Carroll Valley welcomes families and park enthusiasts for interactive games with a new gaga ball pit this season.
Played similarly to dodge ball except in an enclosed octagon or hexagon arena, gaga players bop a ball with their palms in an attempt to strike the other players’ shins.
The game requires a minimum of two people but can fit multiple people at once in the pit. A versatile game, gaga players can free-for all against each other or can form teams. The simple game can be easy to pick up and become very competitive.
The project to create the new gaga pit for Carroll Valley Park was presented at the council’s March meeting by Fairfield Area High School student Brody Holz of Boys Scouts Troop 230.
The project was part of Holz’s journey to become an Eagle Scout within Crew 230, a venture scout crew chartered by the Greenmount Volunteer Fire Department. Holz currently serves as the president of the crew.
Holz was inspired by another Eagle Scout gaga pit completed at Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg and the sense of community it brought to the area. Holz presented the gaga pit project as a way to connect the community through a simple but engaging game, he said.
The council gave unanimous approval and support for the promising Eagle Scout’s gaga development and fundraising quickly went underway. Pledges to fund the approximately $1,900 project were immediately provided from on-line viewers during the March meeting Zoom presentation. "I have never seen that before," Borough Manager Dave Hazlett said.
Donations were also collected through Scout fundraisers as well as the project’s Go Fund Me account throughout the summer.
As part of his mission to acquire his Eagle Scout Badge, Holz was at the forefront of the design and creation for the recreational park’s gaga pit. "We adapted as we went along and figured out better ways to complete certain aspects as we encountered them," Holz said.
Components of the project came from supplier Coach Cliff's GaGa Ball Pits and Lumber was generously donated by Allen Beckett Construction.
Completed in November, the gaga pits were envisioned to be long term additions to the offerings of Carroll Valley Park. "This addition will not only serve the community for years to come, but it would be a very good addition to the park in general for everyone to use for a very long time," he said.
"We had a great deal of technical experience within the crew to help out and I cannot express my gratitude enough for everyone that came to help," he said.
