Schreiber Pediatric to build bike path in May

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

A bike path project that has been in the works for nearly three years will finally break ground, and thousands of kids who use bike riding in their therapy will soon have a beautiful new outdoor facility to explore.

Construction will begin Monday, May 2, on the Schreiber campus along Good Drive. East Hempfield Township gave final approval for the plans in February.

Schreiber raised more than $75,000 for the project through fundraising and in-kind contributions, enough to cover the construction costs and to create a fund for ongoing maintenance costs. The largest piece of the fundraising came from the Stabler Foundation, which provided a $60,000 gift.

The bike path will represent an important upgrade to the facility and to the resources for Schreiber’s Therapy Department. For years, kids have had to ride bikes through Schreiber’s hallways or in a small corner of our parking lot — hardly ideal.

That all changes this year. Construction should be completed by the end of the month. Schreiber Pediatric will have a formal ribbon cutting June 25 during a special 80th anniversary open house.

In addition to the generous donations that helped fund this project, Schreiber Pediatric also wants to acknowledge the generous support of the staff at two local companies. David Miller/Associates, a landscape architecture and civil engineering firm based in East Hempfield Township, and RLPS Architects, Manheim Township, spent countless hours drafting and revising plans as they navigated the municipal approval process, and they didn’t charge for their services.

Simeral Construction, Manheim Township, will provide general contractor services for the project, with B.R. Kreider & Son Inc., East Hempfield Township, doing the excavation work and CE Pontz Sons Landscape Contractors, Upper Leacock Township, doing the landscaping and hardscaping.