Eastern York Recreation Authority

Eastern York Recreation Authority (EYRA) was founded from a grant awarded by the PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Recreation & Conservation. Three (of six) municipalities within the small, rural Eastern York School District applied for funding to hire a full-time Parks & Recreation Director to serve their communities. The first director took the reins in November 2018, reporting to a six-member, all-volunteer board. In October 2021, a part-time Sport & Facility Coordinator joined the staff to help with our expanding programs. From 2019 to today, our youth sport participation has tripled!!

We continually seek to improve our operations and develop our programming for the area's 20,000 residents. Our organization depends on grant funds, registration fees, municipal contributions, and the generosity of the community - whether monetarily or in-kind - so that we may carry out our mission. 

EYRA was created to:

1)   Jointly operate educational, recreational, and athletic programs and facilities to economically meet the present and
future parks and recreation needs of Hellam Township, Lower Windsor Township,
and Hallam Borough residents; and

2)   Operate, strengthen, and expand the community recreation programs formerly provided by the all-volunteer Hellam
Recreation Commission

We mainly administer three youth sport programs – baseball, soccer, and softball – which rely on 150+ volunteer coordinators and coaches. In 2019, all our youth sport programs saw registration numbers increase, and the trend was continuing as we opened registration for spring 2020. Then COVID-19 hit and altered our journey. 2020 - a year like no other - had many obstacles and hardships, but we worked to continue developing on our mission. Fours year later and the momentum is building stronger than ever and we look forward to serving the community!

Our most current project is replacing a playground at Barshinger Fields in Hellam Township. This park sees hundreds of families a year, especially during the spring and fall soccer seasons. As we grow, we recognize the community’s diverse population and strive to provide parks and recreation opportunities to
all residents and the general public, regardless of economic means, disabilities, or other challenges. We are committed to working effectively with others, establishing, and strengthening bonds with local organizations and user groups, for the betterment of the community.