Photo by Niamh Coomey Rod Haley, left, and Bob Heldreth show off the new Riesbeck’s paczki recipe: a decadent raspberry white chocolate champagne.

Get ready for an exclusive sweet new treat coming to the Upper Ohio Valley — a white chocolate champagne raspberry paczki — that will celebrate a major milestone in the history of one of the region’s most popular parks, as well as a staple of valley commerce.

This specialty flavor of the Polish dessert is being released as part of a joint 100-year celebration of both Wheeling Park and Riesbeck’s Markets. A portion of the proceeds from the paczki sales will go towards beautification efforts and programming at Wheeling Park.

Riesbeck’s limited edition paczki will be on the shelves in four-packs at locations in Elm Grove, St. Clairsville, Bridgeport, Follansbee, Toronto and Barnesville to celebrate their centennial as Wheeling Park also rings in 100 years since its establishment.

“It’s awesome just to think that there’s more than one thing in this community that’s been here for over a hundred years or a hundred years,” Wheeling Park Commission Executive Vice President Rod Haley said, “and it’s just such a good fit especially with the [Elm Grove store] right down the road. We love being partnered with Riesbeck’s.”

Paczkis already come in many flavors at the Ohio Valley market chain, but this recipe was specially created for the joint centennial celebration.

Riesbeck’s Marketing Director Bob Heldreth said the Riesbeck’s team wanted to create a recipe fit for the big occasion. Their result was a handmade, chantilly cream-filled pastry with raspberry and a white chocolate ganache.

“We really wanted to have a paczki that really was worthy of 100 years of Wheeling Park and Riesbeck’s,” Heldreth said.

Wheeling Park was originally a private plot of land titled after its owner: Hornbrook’s Park. After operating as a private amusement park for several years, it became run-down amid the World War I and prohibition era, according to the Wheeling Park website.

In 1924, several Wheeling residents pushed for a revamp of the park, secured funding and transformed the land into a public recreation space that opened officially in the spring of 1925 and kicked off with a celebration on May 30.

Around the same time, Grandma Margaret Schumacher Riesbeck was opening a small store in Woodsfield, Ohio, which has since expanded to 17 locations around the Ohio Valley area.

In the chain’s 100th year, a fourth generation of Riesbecks continue to keep Grandma Riesbeck’s vision alive by providing fresh produce, meat and baked goods to the community.

Wheeling Park has been celebrating the centennial since late December. However Memorial Day weekend this year will be when the brunt of centennial celebrations take place, right where the park got its public start with a joyous gathering 100 years ago.

Haley said the long weekend of celebration will kick off with a street dinner and include several community events and live band performances.

The celebration does not stop there though, Haley said. Wheeling residents can expect fun events in the park all summer with the opening of the splash pad, a comedian, and Fun Fest Fridays.

With the funds from Riesbeck’s paczki sales, Wheeling Park will be considering new gardens, signage, or possibly even an art installation to last for the park’s next 100 years.