Town comes together to build a playground
MILFORD — If it takes a village to raise a child, building a playground for that child takes foresight, passion, patience, plenty of money and a lot of volunteers.
They all came together recently in Milford.
Karen Stauffer had the foresight. The former Kiwanis Club president thought the town’s Uptown Park, on C Street, next to the Webermeier Memorial Library, needed more playground equipment.
Current Kiwanis president Laura Peterson provided the passion.
“I started out on the project as co-chair,” Stauffer said, “but Laura has really taken hold and done an excellent job on this project.”
Patience? Committee brainstorming, research, presentations and fund raising events took nearly a year, Stauffer said.
The first donation came in February 2006, but the fund raising progressed slowly. It gained momentum at Milford Fun Days in August, when proceeds from multiple activities were donated to the project.
Peterson made scores of presentations to businesses and organizations, using a color poster of the future playground to win over potential donors.
“When people could see that visual, when they could see the end result, they were very willing to donate to the project, versus someone just talking about ‘maybe we are going to put in a playground.’ I think people are pretty comfortable giving money to something that is pretty solid,” Peterson said.
Eventually, donations reached the required $48,000-plus. The Kiwanis club shaved $15,000 off the playground’s potential cost by accepting delivery of the equipment parts in mid-winter. Boxes of parts were stored in Don Yeackley’s CY Mfg. warehouse, reloaded by FFA members into trailers the night before construction began, then taken to the work site the morning of April 13.
Bring on more volunteers.
Forty-five people showed up that first chilly morning, assembling standards, bolts, stairs, rails and pieces of slides under the guidance of Kevin Marshall, installation division manager for Fry & Associates Inc. of Kansas City, Mo.
The interactive play structure includes a catwalk, arch climbers, shifting-sands panel, slither, glide and spiral-climber slides, U-bounce, cliff hanger (climbing wall), play seat with activity panel and babble-on, a trumpet-shaped tube through which children talk to each other.
Twenty people showed up to finish the job the next day. Helpers ranged from Kiwanis members to 19 students enrolled in Ron Petsch’s building construction class at Southeast Community College to parents of children from a nearby daycare center.
One of those workers was Stauffer, who said the Kiwanis club was formed in 1998 and now has more than 70 members.
Three days later, the sun was shining, the air was fresh and 16 children enrolled in the Little Leaps of Faith Development Center scrambled, bounced and climbed on the new equipment.
One tot lost her balance and landed on the spongy surface beneath the new playground equipment.
She popped up, almost as if she had bounced, without squeal or bruise.
The grass-colored, 40-by-60 foot cushioned surface is called Play Matta and tops a shock pad of recycled rubber, said Peterson.
The surface will expand and contract with the weather, cannot be burned and the 4-by-4 foot panels can easily be replaced if needed, said Peterson. The club bought a few extra, just in case.
Daycare teacher Robin Butzke said most of the children, ages 3 to 5, seemed to like the bumpy slide and the U-bounce best. One child said he especially liked the beads in the activity panel.
Teacher Jody Anderson said she was surprised by how “soft and cushiony” the floor was.
“They (the children) just seem really thrilled with all the things they can do,” Anderson observed.
Teacher John Kilzer summed up: “Thanks to all the volunteers that did it. It was huge (the undertaking and the benefit). It is going to be around for a long time.”
Reach Joanie Cradick at dc34702@alltel.net
They all came together recently in Milford.
Karen Stauffer had the foresight. The former Kiwanis Club president thought the town’s Uptown Park, on C Street, next to the Webermeier Memorial Library, needed more playground equipment.
Current Kiwanis president Laura Peterson provided the passion.
“I started out on the project as co-chair,” Stauffer said, “but Laura has really taken hold and done an excellent job on this project.”
Patience? Committee brainstorming, research, presentations and fund raising events took nearly a year, Stauffer said.
The first donation came in February 2006, but the fund raising progressed slowly. It gained momentum at Milford Fun Days in August, when proceeds from multiple activities were donated to the project.
Peterson made scores of presentations to businesses and organizations, using a color poster of the future playground to win over potential donors.
“When people could see that visual, when they could see the end result, they were very willing to donate to the project, versus someone just talking about ‘maybe we are going to put in a playground.’ I think people are pretty comfortable giving money to something that is pretty solid,” Peterson said.
Eventually, donations reached the required $48,000-plus. The Kiwanis club shaved $15,000 off the playground’s potential cost by accepting delivery of the equipment parts in mid-winter. Boxes of parts were stored in Don Yeackley’s CY Mfg. warehouse, reloaded by FFA members into trailers the night before construction began, then taken to the work site the morning of April 13.
Bring on more volunteers.
Forty-five people showed up that first chilly morning, assembling standards, bolts, stairs, rails and pieces of slides under the guidance of Kevin Marshall, installation division manager for Fry & Associates Inc. of Kansas City, Mo.
The interactive play structure includes a catwalk, arch climbers, shifting-sands panel, slither, glide and spiral-climber slides, U-bounce, cliff hanger (climbing wall), play seat with activity panel and babble-on, a trumpet-shaped tube through which children talk to each other.
Twenty people showed up to finish the job the next day. Helpers ranged from Kiwanis members to 19 students enrolled in Ron Petsch’s building construction class at Southeast Community College to parents of children from a nearby daycare center.
One of those workers was Stauffer, who said the Kiwanis club was formed in 1998 and now has more than 70 members.
Three days later, the sun was shining, the air was fresh and 16 children enrolled in the Little Leaps of Faith Development Center scrambled, bounced and climbed on the new equipment.
One tot lost her balance and landed on the spongy surface beneath the new playground equipment.
She popped up, almost as if she had bounced, without squeal or bruise.
The grass-colored, 40-by-60 foot cushioned surface is called Play Matta and tops a shock pad of recycled rubber, said Peterson.
The surface will expand and contract with the weather, cannot be burned and the 4-by-4 foot panels can easily be replaced if needed, said Peterson. The club bought a few extra, just in case.
Daycare teacher Robin Butzke said most of the children, ages 3 to 5, seemed to like the bumpy slide and the U-bounce best. One child said he especially liked the beads in the activity panel.
Teacher Jody Anderson said she was surprised by how “soft and cushiony” the floor was.
“They (the children) just seem really thrilled with all the things they can do,” Anderson observed.
Teacher John Kilzer summed up: “Thanks to all the volunteers that did it. It was huge (the undertaking and the benefit). It is going to be around for a long time.”
Reach Joanie Cradick at dc34702@alltel.net
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