Former resident makes $100,000 gift to South 6th St. Playground programming

Lebanon City residents of all ages came together Thursday night to play basketball at the South 6th Street Playground.

Former city resident Mark Sevco, who worked with South 6th Street Playground director Sharon Zook to refurbish the basketball courts in 2020, recently donated $100,000 to the Playground Association. Sevco is president of Allegheny Health Network.

Those funds went primarily toward the summer day camp (which runs Monday through Friday, June 16 to Aug. 1), but also sponsored the fourth annual Joseph P. Sevco Junior Youth Basketball Camp on Thursday and Friday.

When Sevco was 12 years old, he explained Thursday, his father Joseph died unexpectedly. He was able to handle his grief largely through the community and activity he found at the South 6th Street basketball court.

By 2020, Sevco explained, the courts had grown dilapidated and unsafe, leading to a community effort to refurbish them – a process that included the old asphalt being excavated and completely new equipment being installed.

Read More: Sharon Zook’s on a mission to revitalize the South Sixth St. playground (2020)

After improvements were made, the courts began hosting the Joseph P. Sevco Junior Youth Basketball Camp, which Sevco said sees more attendees each year. This year, he said, the June 12-13 camp had around 75 sign-ups, with 30 teams playing in the evening’s open 3-on-3 JamFest.

The free camp employs around eight coaches, with kids in attendance receiving a basketball, commemorative coin, and T-shirt.

Pittsburgh resident Sevco explained that in addition to providing kids with a healthy activity, the courts give them a space to form community and learn accountability. While the camp (focused on faith, grit, and kindness) only lasts two days, Sevco said the courts see usage every day, with lighting on until 10 each night to give kids time to play.

Of the camp, Sevco said, “It’s an opportunity to come home, see friends and family, and provide some mentorship to kids who need guidance. I’m passionate about what the court meant for me, personally.”

The remainder of Sevco’s significant donation will go toward providing staffing, resources, nutrition, and enrichment programs for the summer day camp.

Free to kids ages 6 to 12, the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. camp provides kids with enriching activity and a healthy lunch, Zook said.

“The purpose of the camp is to prevent summer slide,” said Zook, explaining that summer slide is the learning loss some kids experience over the summer break. Activities range from crafts to collaborative games to work on social skills and motor skills.

Camp administrators also cook lunch for attendees, with Zook explaining that they work to teach kids about nutrition and healthy eating.

Zook said that when she moved to Lebanon, she was inspired to work with the Playground Association after learning the importance of playgrounds in many city kids’ lives. For kids without church groups or large family reunions, Zook said, the playground provides both community and a safe place to play.

“I came to learn that, in the urban areas, the playground is like the neighborhood backyard,” she said. “Families may not live close to other families. This is necessary for the kids’ development.”

In 2010, Zook took on the ambitious project of rebuilding the South Sixth Street Playground. Many pieces of equipment, such as the old spring rider toys, were not built to modern safety standards, and some playground equipment was installed on cement. She said the old playground contained seven of the 10 most dangerous playground hazards.

The Playground Association was able to raise funds to undergo reconstruction (including substantial state grants), and the newly ADA-compliant park reopened in 2010. The summer camp, Zook explained, began soon after.

From the beginning, Zook said, the camp provided kids with free lunch, though for many years lunch was provided by Lebanon County Christian Ministries. Now, volunteers cook for the kids, often using food or funds donated by local businesses or individuals.

With many families relying on kids getting lunch at school during the school year, Zook said, it is important that kids get access to healthy food during the day. Child poverty rates are over 40 percent in Lebanon, a 2023 Lebanon County Hunger Mapping report (PDF) found, with these kids being at an increased risk for food insecurity.

During camp, when they have enough volunteers and staff, Zook said, kids can sometimes go across the street to spend time at the basketball courts. During camp and other events, Play Street (which separates the playground from the basketball courts) is closed to vehicles for kids’ safety.

The Playground Association is always looking for donations and volunteers, Zook said. The playground’s website explains that many high schoolers (and former campers) request to work at the playground, and college students and teachers also volunteer.