Butler Township Parks & Recreation held S’more Fun in the Park at Preston Park on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The township’s event listing named Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet as the fundraiser’s beneficiary. The Butler Eagle previewed the gathering before it opened, then reported the next day that the event took place. Its follow-up described nearly two dozen nontraditional s’mores prepared by local groups and residents.
The event moved from preview to follow-up coverage. Before it opened, the Butler Eagle reported what organizers planned; in its next-day story, the newspaper documented what took place. The preview said the township expected more than 20 varieties and had invited local people and businesses to invent their own versions. The follow-up described almost two dozen kinds made by community members. The Oct. 7 story also identified it as a first for the township.
The recipes gave the fundraiser its playful theme. All Saints Parish prepared caramel-apple crunch and treats called “heavenly honey bites.” Butler Township Fire Department made s’more cookies, and Boy Scout Troop 217 made banana s’mores. Penn Theater Performance Company made s’more popcorn. The Knights of Columbus’ Butler chapter made s’more milkshake shots. Those were among the items described in the Butler Eagle’s on-site report, which also identified the people and groups behind them.
Other organizations named in the post-event report included Peter’s Chocolate Shop, Wiest Asphalt & Paving, Butler Area Woodturners, the Butler Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation and St. Vincent de Paul. The Oct. 7 preview had described a broader plan for the afternoon: craft vendors, raffle baskets, balloon art, face painting and themed temporary tattoos alongside the food. The Oct. 11 report documented the s’more booths and visitors at Preston Park.
The fundraiser supported a program with a defined youth-development purpose. Pennsylvania State Police Troop D says its Camp Cadet is a summer camp for Pennsylvania youth, staffed by state troopers, local police officers and other volunteers. The troop says the program introduces participants to the criminal justice system and aims to build positive relationships with law enforcement. It is structured like police-academy training and focuses on discipline, self-esteem, teamwork, drug and alcohol education and violence prevention. Troop D says there is no cost to attend.
Butler Township community manager Tom Knights told the Butler Eagle that young people get value from seeing police training and interacting with officers, whether they later pursue a public-safety career or another kind of community involvement. Knights also told the paper, “The community really does care.” Township emergency services director Scott Frederick said the camp can expose young people to possible work in fire services, emergency medical services and other public-safety fields. Those comments describe possibilities and relationships, not a promise that campers will enter those careers.
Camp Cadet was familiar to one member of a participating group. Miles Bindernagel, a high school student and member of Boy Scout Troop 217, told the Eagle that he attended Camp Cadet in 2024 and planned to return as a counselor. He said he enjoyed his experience and that it was meaningful to see people supporting the camp. The report does not say the fundraiser prompted his decision; it records a former camper’s plan to continue taking part.
The advance coverage said township manager Tom Knights had drawn inspiration from the summer Guys Who Grill event and wanted to try something different from another Oktoberfest. He said local residents and businesses were invited to bring their own s’more ideas. That open-ended invitation appeared in the finished event through the variety of treats named in the next-day report: familiar campfire ingredients showed up as cookies, popcorn, banana combinations and even milkshake shots.
The event listing offered a $10 ticket for samples of 10 s’mores, with additional tickets available, and advertised activities for children and families. Those were the organizers’ posted terms before the event; the Butler Eagle’s next-day coverage confirmed the booths and visitors. Neither the host listing nor the newspaper reported a dollar total, so the amount raised remains unreported.
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