Here at RVCC, we believe in engendering the growth of community for our children as well as building community for adults. Over the years, we have created an enviable de facto county park here, complete with a basketball court, soccer and baseball fields, a creek-side walking trail, a complete event venue with a pavilion, stage and portable tents, and a brand-new skate park that is the envy of any rural county.
Built originally in 2009, our playground was funded entirely by donations and constructed largely by volunteers. For 13 years it has been one of the most consistently used features of our recreational facilities.
However, while the playground is heavily utilized by the community, it is far too small to support many children and parents at once. This tends to lead to the play areas being overcrowded. Additionally, most of the equipment is geared towards children in the 7-12 age range with almost nothing suitable for younger or disabled kids. Many families have approached RVCC and expressed their desire for the playground to be expanded and the types of equipment broadened to be suitable for different age groups.
RVCC’s Play It Up! initiative aims to tackle these issues by creating an improved space for children of all ages and abilities to come and create their own community through play. Much of our expanded playground infrastructure will contain natural elements designed with inclusivity and interaction in mind. Many of the activities will encourage cooperation between children of all ages and abilities, allowing for meaningful play that develops trust and engenders new friendships. This is how communities of kids are built.
Phase 1 of the project will include the relocation of the existing swing set and seesaw to accommodate a larger and more adaptive swing apparatus, the replacement of the existing slide, the creation of an expanded playground footprint adjacent to the current structure, the installation of the newly-purchased playground equipment and accompanying mulch, borders and additional natural play features. An illustration of the expanded playground is below.
Phase 2 will involve the installation of a new play area within our new skate park, relocating the old swing set and seesaw to this area and incorporating natural features including a large sandbox and a play hill with tunnels.
We are already well on our way to raising the funds needed for this project. Huge thanks go out to the Sahm Family Foundation for a $50,000 grant in honor of Jim Cowley. The Perry Foundation has given us a $20,000 matching grant, meaning that we must raise $20,000 on our own in order to receive that money. So that leaves us with a total of $32,000 that we must raise in order to match the Perry grant and reach the final goal.
Thank you for your support!
Click this link to make a donation:
https://app.joinit.com/o/rockfish-valley-community-center/Kfxvgn8Yz8opfme38