Trophy Club, TX (May 7, 2020) – Town officials have decided to cancel the 2020 Fourth of July Celebration & Fireworks as well as the 2020 Summer Adventure Camp and delay the opening of the Community Pool. This difficult decision was made due to the uncertainty surrounding the timeline for allowance of large gatherings by the Governor’s office and the difficulty in following the health guidelines outlined by the Department of State Health Services(DSHS) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This was not an easy decision, however, the safety and well-being of our residents must be our top priority.
The Fourth of July Celebration is a daylong event that consists of a 5K run, parade and evening celebration. Historically the Patriot 5K & Fun Run has 500+ registered racers and the Parade of Patriots has well over 1,000 participants and spectators combined. The Fourth of July Celebration & Fireworks is Trophy Club’s biggest event of the year and brings approximately 4,500 people to the annual event. The event takes place at Independence Park East with food vendors, various children’s activities, a live performance by Limelight and a twenty-minute firework show to end the evening.
In order for these events to be successful for our residents, many hours of planning and pre-production are required. As such, it was necessary to make this decision now to ensure ample time to cancel contracts with vendors and recover our costs and obligations.
Assistant Town Manager, Wade Carroll, stated “the health and safety of our community is the top priority and at the forefront of all decisions made during these unprecedented times. We look forward to the day when we can all come together once again and celebrate the events that make Trophy Club a great place to call home.” Town Manager, Steve Norwood, went on to say “we are disappointed that we will not be able to host our Fourth of July events this year and we look forward to celebrating Independence Day with our residents in 2021.”
The Parks & Recreation Department is looking for alternative dates in the fall to reschedule the live band performance and firework show. Residents are encouraged to visit the Town’s website and social media platforms for the most up to date information on special events.
The Town of Trophy Club also announced the cancelation of its 2020 Summer Adventure Camp on Thursday, May 7 due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The Town will not conduct its traditional ten-week summer camp due to the uncertainty associated with the pandemic and the impact it would have on the program. With difficulties in staffing, limited facility space, capacity restrictions at field trip venues, and above all the safety of our campers and employees, the Town of Trophy Club feels this is the best course of action.
The Summer Adventure Camp enrolls up to 55 campers per week for the 10-week program. Registration is open on a week to week basis to Trophy Club residents and non-residents of surrounding communities. The CDC recommendation for childcare programs states child care classes should include the same group of children each day and the same child care providers should remain with the same group of children each day. This poses a challenge for our program due to limited staff and the fluctuation of campers throughout the duration of the program. In addition, the camp travels to and from field trips on one bus where social distancing cannot be implemented. Each week the camp travels to two field trip locations and the Trophy Club Community Pool three times a week.
Another challenge the program faces due to the coronavirus pandemic is properly cleaning and disinfecting rooms, furniture, equipment, and camp supplies. Caring for Our Children (CFOC) provides national standards for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection of educational facilities for children. With limited availability to cleaning and sanitizing products and the increased staffing levels required to meet these expectations, the Town of Trophy Club does not feel that we can meet these standards.
Many of the challenges created by COVID-19 are unlikely to fully recede by summer. Trophy Club Town Manager Steve Norwood said, “We had to make a decision based on the advice from health and public officials to cancel our summer camp this year. The health and safety of our campers and their families, our staff, and the community are of the highest importance.” This difficult decision was made to improve safety for our residents and staff.
Trophy Club’s 2020 Summer Adventure Camp was scheduled for June 1 – August 7 at Beck Elementary School. Parks & Recreation Director, Tony Jaramillo stated, “We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, and hope the advance notice provides families time to find alternate childcare options for the summer. We will miss seeing our campers’ smiling faces and look forward to spending next summer with them!” The Town fully expects Summer Adventure Camp to return in 2021.
For those who have already registered and paid for summer camp sessions, the Parks & Recreation Department will be issuing full refunds starting Friday, May 8. Please contact [email protected] for any refund concerns.
In addition to canceling the Fourth of July Celebration and Summer Adventure Camp, Town officials have also decided to delay the opening of the Community Pool to allow for hiring and training our seasonal personnel on current health and safety recommendations set forth by public health officials. Trophy Club’s Community Pool traditionally opens Memorial Day weekend, bringing in several hundred people to enjoy the facility. Trophy Club Town Manager, Steve Norwood, said “The Community Pool opening will be delayed until we are certain that we can keep people safe through adjustments in pool procedures and scheduling to avoid gathering in large crowds. We are hopeful that we will be able to open the pool sometime in June or early July barring any future announcements or executive orders.” More information on the Community Pool is coming soon.
Trophy Club residents are encouraged to visit: www.trophyclub.org/covid-19 to keep up with the impacts made in Town due to COVID-19.