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Volunteers make new playground a reality
Published 10/26/2009 in Local News
By MONICA SPRINGER
SCOTT CITY — Thirty minutes before the dedication of Park on the Plains, volunteers spent time putting the finishing touches on the $300,000 playground.
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Monica Springer/Telegram Volunteers work to put finishing touches on the Park on the Plains playground in Scott City. Volunteers worked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday last week to finish the playground.
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Monica Springer/Telegram Members of the steering committee address about 200 people that gathered at the Park of the Plains playground on Sunday evening in Scott City. The playground is mostly complete, though children will have to wait until mid-November to play on it because the ground surface hasn’t yet been installed.
Pickets around the perimeter of the playground were screwed into place. Wood was painted, and the pickets were sanded to have a smooth surface.
About 200 people gathered at the park for a short dedication ceremony Sunday night. Park on the Plains is a community-built playground in Scott City that volunteers helped build, plan and fund.
The playground's steering committee — the people who helped plan the playground — stood on top of the slides on a platform on the structure and addressed the crowd.
Becky Nowak, one of the organizers, said that on the first day of construction, Tuesday, there were 85 volunteers, and she didn't know about half of them.
"I think that's the cool thing about this playground," Nowak said, adding that the playground gave community members a chance to meet one another.
Nowak said the process for the playground started in June 2008 with an appearance in front of the Scott City Council. Since then, hundreds of people have given donations of time and money toward the project, she said.
On Sunday, there were 131 volunteers working on the playground. On Friday, there were 247, Nowak said.
"A lot of people's hearts have been changed. It was worth every second," Nowak said.
The playground is mostly complete, although the ground surface won't be installed until Nov. 2. Nowak said the ground will take about two weeks to dry, so the playground should be ready for kids to play on by Nov. 14. The playground is made mostly of recycled plastic, though there are wood components, as well.
After the dedication, the steering committee, with smiles on their faces, exited the playground by sliding down the slides, drawing laughter from the children in the crowd.
Children won't be allowed to play on the structure until the surface work is complete, but kids walked around the playground to check out the attractions.
Julie and Jared Faurot, of Scott City, stopped near a wooden store front on the playground to take photos of their children, Hannah, 3, and Ethan, 18 months, through the windows.
The Faurots volunteered and helped construct the playground.
"It's amazing. It's beyond words," Julie said.
Hannah, bundled in a pink jacket, said she liked the playground, as well.
The playground didn't come without a few complications, though. There was bad weather during the build, including rain and cold temperatures.
"The turnout was amazing in the bad weather," Jared Faurot said.
The playground features slides, tunnels, a place for children to play Tic Tac Toe, handlebars and a rock climbing wall, along with swings and a wooden tractor to play in.
Lewis and Pam Brown, of Scott City, also volunteered on the project, along with their two kids, Andrew, 14, and Ashlee, 17.
Andrew said he helped level the ground and carried lumber and tools. Lewis Brown said there was a lot of cutting and sawing involved, and Ashlee helped babysit the children of the volunteers working on the project.
"It's cool how the whole town got involved," Lewis Brown said.
He said people of all ages helped with the project. Teenagers learned from elders in the community, and even elementary school children helped by soaping screws so they would slide into the plastic better.
The family said they are proud of the newest addition to Scott City.
"It makes me proud of Scott City," Pam Brown said. "This town is cool."
Organizers of the playground still are seeking donations for the project. Nowak said organizers of the park haven't yet counted the donations that came in last week, but they still are slightly short of the $300,000 goal. To donate, Nowak can be reached at (620) 874-5611.
Found 1 comment(s)!
Way to go Scott City!!!
Posted by: Ken and Debbie Stormont on 10/26/2009