Hope’s Park & Playground becomes a reality
July 27, 2018
Pictured above are left, Nila Potter, Beth Deiter, Aida Anderson, and Dr. Sylvia Anderson. They met at the site of Hope’s Playground and Park on Wednesday, July 18 especially for Aida to present the funds she raised from her 4-H project “Painted Rocks for Cancer and Hope’s Park” to the park’s organizer, Beth Deiter. Rocks were painted various cancer ribbon colors and “decorated” with a word of hope or decoupaged with a cancer survivor sticker. They were then sprayed with sealant. A first name in honor or support of someone fighting cancer could be added to the rock. Painting the rocks were donors, Aida, her mother Sylvia and Aida’s grandmother, Nila, along with volunteers. Note the colorful rocks at the bottom of Hope’s donor sign. A ribbon cutting ceremony and open house will be held at the park this Sunday, July 29 beginning with a community meal at 5 p.m. Be sure to attend!
What once was just a vision is about to become reality. Hope’s Park and Playground build days are scheduled for this Thursday
and Friday, July 26 and 27.
Landscape Structures, the company that produced the playground equipment, and Dakota Playground from Fargo, the vendor, will send their build day supervisor to Faulkton on Thursday to supervise a group of 10 to 12 local volunteers to assemble the playground equipment and set it in place at the park. Common Sense Manufacturing will also be busy this week erecting the shade structures and bringing the park equipment such as tables, benches, and a bench swing (that they built) to the park. The bathroom, sidewalks, and commemorative bricks are completed.
Each colorfully painted rock has a first name in honor or support of someone fighting cancer.
The project was the vision of a 25-year cancer survivor who donated the seed money to build a peaceful, playful, green space near the hospital, new housing subdivision, and the southwest area of Faulkton where several daycares and families with young children reside. It could not have been realized without the donation of land by the Faulkton Area Medical Center, a $15,000 playground grant by the KABOOM and Dr. Pepper/Snapple group that was initiated by the Faulkton Area Economic Development office, matching funds from the S.D. Farmer’s Union, dozens of hours of donated labor, materials, and equipment by local businesses and individuals, and nearly $50,000 of donations from the Faulkton community, businesses, and alumni.
A community celebration and ribbon cutting will take place on Sunday, July 29 at the park and playground. Festivities include a community meal at 5 p.m., ribbon decorating by the area children, balloons, a chance to contribute to Aida Anderson’s cancer rock painting project (if you didn’t get the chance to earlier,) the dedication and ribbon cutting at approximately 6 p.m., and finally . . . Fun! Initiating play on the playground equipment will be the children of the community.
The painted rock project has rocks painted in honor of or in memory of the following: Barbra, Linda, Jamie, Danette, Bernell, Shirley, Deann, Alvin, Billie, Sandy, Mary, Marvin, Robert, Brad, Ida, Alfred, Chris, Ada, Bev, Linda, Blanche, Roger, Kyle, Bob, David, Kirby, Bessie, Stacey, and Darlys.
Some parts of the project will be ongoing. Mother Nature was not very cooperative this spring, and it was decided that the better option for planting the grass Hope’s Park & Playground and trees would be late August/early September. It would save on watering and allow for cooler temperatures. Once these things are in place the park will be fenced. An inspirational sculpture is in the works also to greet visitors as they enter the park, and a donor board will be assembled at the park at a later date as donations are still coming in.
An exciting donation has been offered to Hope’s Park and Playground to help complete the 5 through 12-year old playground structure (which was an option only if we raised enough funds) from an alumni of FHS, Linda Deiter Erickson in memory of her father, Doyle Deiter. If we can match the significant donation, then that structure would be possible and the entire playground project would be completed with the installation, probably, next spring. Some grant opportunities may exist with the help of the Faulkton Economic Development office to assist this as well as the donations that we continue to receive from individuals and businesses.
Our community logo, “We Believe in Possible”, is never more fitting than in the vision of this park and playground. The Faulkton area community should be very proud of this accomplishment. See you at the park on the 29th!
Article and images courtesy of the Faulk County Record.