GEARS Recreation Programs
GEARS Community Center, 70 S Poplar St, Elizabethtown, PA 17022
About
GEARS Recreation Programs offers activities that include Summer Playground, Iddy Biddy Basketball, Camp Ladybug, BEARS Basketball Camp, a Basketball Clinic, and Swim Lessons. These programs are part of the broader GEARS services that include recreation, learning, childcare, and senior center services.
• Schedule: Program options are offered Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm on weekdays.
GEARS operates as a 501(c)3 non-profit agency formed through a partnership agreement with East Donegal Township, Elizabethtown Borough, Mount Joy Township, and West Donegal Township. GEARS provides administration, scheduling of resources, a community center, a child care program, recreation, and a senior center. The mission of GEARS is to connect people of all ages through recreation, learning, childcare, and senior center services that strengthen the community and the quality of life. GEARS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression and identity, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in its activities or operations, and is committed to an inclusive and welcoming environment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.
GEARS was founded in 1976 as EARC (Elizabethtown Area Recreation Commission), and in January 2000, after nearly two years of planning, GEARS (Greater Elizabethtown Area Recreation & Community Services) began providing services as a merger of EACSA and EARC. In 2025, GEARS formed a non-profit incorporation to align with its organizational structure. The leadership team includes Executive Director David Wendel, Business Manager Joyce Hardman, Recreation Director Lee Eckert, Program Coordinator Karrie Norman, Administrative Assistant Erin Thomas, Kids Center Director Wendy Musser and Assistant Director Kelly Flowers, and Senior Center staff including Director Jessica Raush and Assistants Wayne Bream and Julissa Rivera-Santa. GEARS has received the Elizabethtown Chamber’s Non-Profit of the Year award, and its work is supported by partnerships, collaborations, and sponsorships from local businesses and groups.
Parents and participants have shared feedback about specific programs, including comments that Summer Playground at Community Park is a favorite activity, preschool basketball classes are enjoyed and requested again, and Camp Ladybug has many happy faces. Families have also noted that BEARS Basketball Camp and skills programs taught new basketball skills, and that a swim class led by an instructor named Bonnie led to noticeable changes in a child’s stamina and persistence in the pool. The recreation refund policy states that if GEARS recreation cancels a class, a full refund or transfer to another class or session will be offered, and other refund requests must be received by phone or email before the program starts, are subject to approval by the recreation director, and do not include credit card processing fees. Programs that require advance purchase of tickets or services, such as sports leagues, special events, tournaments, swim lessons, aquatics, and bus trips, may not be refundable unless the spot can be filled, and GEARS requests input through program surveys if participants are not satisfied.
Last updated July 15, 2026.
• Schedule: Program options are offered Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm on weekdays.
GEARS operates as a 501(c)3 non-profit agency formed through a partnership agreement with East Donegal Township, Elizabethtown Borough, Mount Joy Township, and West Donegal Township. GEARS provides administration, scheduling of resources, a community center, a child care program, recreation, and a senior center. The mission of GEARS is to connect people of all ages through recreation, learning, childcare, and senior center services that strengthen the community and the quality of life. GEARS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression and identity, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in its activities or operations, and is committed to an inclusive and welcoming environment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.
GEARS was founded in 1976 as EARC (Elizabethtown Area Recreation Commission), and in January 2000, after nearly two years of planning, GEARS (Greater Elizabethtown Area Recreation & Community Services) began providing services as a merger of EACSA and EARC. In 2025, GEARS formed a non-profit incorporation to align with its organizational structure. The leadership team includes Executive Director David Wendel, Business Manager Joyce Hardman, Recreation Director Lee Eckert, Program Coordinator Karrie Norman, Administrative Assistant Erin Thomas, Kids Center Director Wendy Musser and Assistant Director Kelly Flowers, and Senior Center staff including Director Jessica Raush and Assistants Wayne Bream and Julissa Rivera-Santa. GEARS has received the Elizabethtown Chamber’s Non-Profit of the Year award, and its work is supported by partnerships, collaborations, and sponsorships from local businesses and groups.
Parents and participants have shared feedback about specific programs, including comments that Summer Playground at Community Park is a favorite activity, preschool basketball classes are enjoyed and requested again, and Camp Ladybug has many happy faces. Families have also noted that BEARS Basketball Camp and skills programs taught new basketball skills, and that a swim class led by an instructor named Bonnie led to noticeable changes in a child’s stamina and persistence in the pool. The recreation refund policy states that if GEARS recreation cancels a class, a full refund or transfer to another class or session will be offered, and other refund requests must be received by phone or email before the program starts, are subject to approval by the recreation director, and do not include credit card processing fees. Programs that require advance purchase of tickets or services, such as sports leagues, special events, tournaments, swim lessons, aquatics, and bus trips, may not be refundable unless the spot can be filled, and GEARS requests input through program surveys if participants are not satisfied.
Last updated July 15, 2026.
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