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Grant awarded to 24 community projects in the Poconos

Two dozen community projects in the Poconos are getting a major financial boost thanks to a new grant.

TANNERSVILLE, Pa. — After years of creaking swings and discolored playground equipment at TLC park in Tannersville, the outdoor space will soon be getting a facelift.

Pocono Township is getting a $40,000 grant from the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau to help with upgrades. 

"It will be two main playground sets, rather large sets. One will be geared more towards the 2 to 5 year age categories and then the 5 to 12 age categories for the other one. So we're excited to have some new equipment in the township," Taylor Munoz, Pocono Township manager, said.

TLC park is just one of the 24 projects getting grant money. It's part of the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau's first community impact grant. The money comes from the occupancy tax charged by hotels and short-term rentals in the Poconos.

"It was really to give back to the different communities that we serve. So it was really aimed towards boroughs, townships, and municipalities to really apply for the grant and use it for projects that they needed additional funding," Pocono Mountain Visitor's Bureau Executive Vice President Brian Bossuyt said.

Township officials said this playground equipment is over three decades old. That's why upgrades are desperately needed.

"Following the burning of the school that was there, and so finally, our board of commissions really renewed a focus on making this a gem in the community and purposing a piece of property that once was a place for families to come, bringing that back to its former glory days," Munoz said.

"We have a lot of communities that have really grown through the last couple of years," Bossuyt said. "So we wanted to help with those communities trying to build out some of those open spaces and different projects they had to really help with the residents as well as the visitors that are coming to their towns."

Nearly $300,000 was given out to community projects across Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Carbon counties. 

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