Aug 17, 2016 3 min read

Mingo Creek County Park served as the backdrop for a UPMC commercial produced this week.

The park won’t be identified as such, but people familiar with the meandering stream and the Ebenezer covered bridge will surely recognize them, said Lisa Cessna, executive director of Washington County Planning Commission, shortly after she asked the board of commissioners to ratify UPMC’s $500 payment in exchange for Tuesday’s use of the park.

The commercial, which carries the working title “Medicare,” includes a cast of about a dozen adults, five children, four extras and two dogs. Counting the crew and support, “There were easily 100 people involved,” said Cessna, whose duties include overseeing three county parks and the Panhandle Trail. “I was amazed at the number of people.”

The first shot scheduled was of a field filled with round bales of hay. Other scenes on the shooting schedule depicted people hiking through a woodland, action on the Chapel Hill playground, biking on a path and fly-fishing in the creek near Hemlock Trail. Cessna said a scene also was shot at the Mingo ballfield.

Regulars at the park asked about the cameras and equipment, and the park and its facilities remained open for recreation throughout the day, including use by Ringgold cross-country runners. No day camp or ball games were scheduled for Tuesday during the daytime, but an orienteering program was to begin at 7 p.m.

The cast and crew used two picnic shelters for catered meals. Daylong rental by groups from outside the county would have totaled $66, so the $500 fee covered not only shelter use but parking for vans used to transport the cast and two recreational vehicles. The crew also was granted an exception to use all-terrain vehicles on the bike path to transport lighting equipment and given access to the park office for part of the day. She said the payment offered “seemed more than reasonable.”

Commissioner Harlan Shober asked if the fee was “consistent with what we’ve done with others,” and Cessna said it was.

Although August in Southwestern Pennsylvania can be a time of drought, drenching rains fell late Tuesday afternoon, and Cessna had not heard Wednesday morning that the weather had affected the shoot.

“Hopefully, they wrapped up,” she said. “This time of year, Mingo the creek is usually empty, but it was rushing. The amount of water in it was really great for them.”

Cessna expects to receive a clip of the commercial before it’s scheduled to air.