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Rockland will again gather to promote its parks as its annual Park Progress Days will be held on Sunday.

The 13th annual community event will be held on June 29 from 10 a.m. to dusk at Gaylord Park. Admission is free, and there will be music, bingo, fireworks and prizes.

“It’s just good, family fun,” said Jess Betts, who helps organize the event with the Rockland Park Association.

Started in 1995, Park Progress Days raises money to improve Rockland’s two parks: Gaylord Park and Village Hall Park. Last year, a second parking lot was added to Gaylord Park, and the cost was almost completely funded from money raised at previous Park Progress Days, according to Sue Donskey, also a member of the Rockland Park Association.

Typically, the event raises about $3,500, although last year’s Park Progress Days brought in about $2,000; Donskey said attendance was lower because there were not enough 4-H teams participating in the 4-H Youth Softball Tournament.

However, Donskey said this year’s event should again draw the people, and there are some changes from previous years.

“We’ve actually changed things up a little this year,” she said.

One change will be making the silent auction into a raffle, which begins at 7 p.m. There will be a regular raffle in addition to a “pick-your-prize” raffle, where individuals can submit raffle tickets for specific prizes.

Donskey said there are a number of good prizes that will be available for the raffle, including an autographed Green Bay Packer football, Milwaukee Bucks and La Crosse Speedway tickets, a Noah’s Ark Water Park trip, gift baskets and collector bobbleheads.

“This year we received more corporate donations than ever before, so the raffle is more valuable than it’s ever been,” Donskey said.

Raffle tickets are available at Rockland businesses before the event and throughout the day of Park Progress Days.

Park Progress Days will begin at 10 a.m. with the softball tournament, which will run until 6 p.m, and bingo will be held from 2-4 p.m.

From 4-6 p.m., Rockland area race car drivers will be available to meet. From 6 p.m. to dusk, a disc jockey will play a variety of music. And at about 10 p.m., there will be a fireworks show.

Overall, Betts said organizing this year’s event has gone well, noting more people were involved this year.

“I think it went probably a little better than in the past because more people were organizing it,” Betts said.

Donskey said she hopes Rockland and area residents take the time to have fun and show their support of Rockland parks.

“The event can only be successful if the community participates,” she said. “And we hope that they all come out and enjoy a lunch and dinner down at the park.”