As children laugh and frolic on the new playground in Wynndel, the community are celebrating the end of a project that spanned many years.
Since the closure of the elementary school in 2008, there was nowhere for kids to play locally.
In 2012, the Wynndel Community Centre (WCC) Board of Directors initially began negotiations to purchase the school property as recreational space.
After the property was acquired, it took several more years of planning and fundraising.
The $100,000 budget was paid for mostly through grants and generous community donations.
The Rodney family personally donated $5,000 towards some of the playground equipment.
As of June 22, construction has been completed with help from the Creston Valley Rotary Club. Children are now enjoying a new swing set and jungle gym with slides. A nine-hole disc golf course will also be installed this summer.
“It is really, really cool to see a project of this size accomplished,” said project manager Lauriane Mehrer. “This was my first time taking on something of this scale. I couldn’t have done it without the other WCC board members and our grant writer Marg Dunn. It was unexpected and amazing.”
On behalf of the WCC, Mehreh thanked everyone for their support and generosity to bring the playground project to fruition.
“A special thank you to the Rodney Family for their generous donation and support,” she said. “Please visit and respect the beautiful bench that will be placed in the park in memory of Gordon Rodney.”
A thank-you sign will also be installed to recognize the contributions from the rest of the community.
On August 8 from 3 to 7 p.m., the WCC will be recognizing the community’s achievement with a family-friendly celebration at the playground.
There will be a small market with local vendors, a food truck, a craft table and story walk for kids, and a disc golf throwing contest.