JAMESTOWN – A lawmaker involved in the rebirth of Chadakoin Park said the city is doing everything it can to secure funding for a new playground set.
City Councilwoman Victoria James said the city recently applied for a $150,000 grant from KaBoom, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play to urban areas, to help rebuild the play set.
“We had a ninety minute interview with them (KaBoom) a few weeks ago and everything looks good,” said Jamestown City Councilwoman Victoria James.
If the grant is awarded, the city will have to supply $10,000 towards the project. James reports her group has already raised $8,000 and looks forward to bringing in the next $2,000 through fundraisers in the next few months.
“We’ll be out there selling hot dogs trying to get that last push of funding,” said James.
Pending final funding requirements, the project is expected to be complete on August 25th. James said hundreds of volunteers will be needed to help put the playground together.
“We will need 300 volunteers that day to build it,” said James. “That’s what we did twenty years ago with the first playground at Chadakoin Park.”
KaBoom has built or improved 17,000+ play areas nationwide. James said if the city is selected, children will be able provide their thoughts and ideas on how to design the playset.
“KaBoom is really unique because one of their many requirements to get the grant is have kids come in, with their parents, and give design input,” said James. “Adults think one way but kids are the users.”
The playground is one of the last wooden play sets in the City of Jamestown.
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If you were old enough to remember garbage being dumped there all day and burned all night you would be putting in for a multi-million dollar brownfield grant to make it safe for our children.