Fundraising underway for community playground

The Roanoke Rotary Club is gearing up to start fundraising and gathering volunteers to create a colorful, fantasy-filled playground for community children.

Planned construction dates are Nov. 1-5 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. rain or shine. Money must be raised; volunteers recruited and plans made. A series of fundraisers are planned. A big one will be this Friday, said David Denton, club past president and coordinator of the project with current Rotary president Ken Seiffert.

Denton said a huge part of this project is bringing the community together to build a community playground.

“From the beginning we looked at this not just as something the city needs but as a community-building project,” Denton said. The key is having a community-built playground, not just having a nice playground for the children, he said.

Fittingly, the first fundraiser is a community concert at the Handley High School gym this Friday, Aug. 11, featuring popular local Tim Duggar and The Dirt Road Band. Another local group, Ryan Robertson and Roger Hammett Band, will also draw in their large following.

The doors open at 6:30 and the music starts at 7 p.m. All monies raised from the sale of refreshments and admission will be used to build the park. Adults pay $10 and children ages six to nine pay $5, and all five and under get in free.

Chad Prince, who is overseeing this fundraiser, urges everyone to turn out for this family event. Those attending will not have to brave the heat or the rain in the air-conditioned building.

“We hope to raise $5,000 to $10,000 and if we can top that great,” Prince said. “These are high-caliber bands. Tim Duggar has hired a steel guitar player who has played with Travis Tritt in the Super Bowl. The Ryan Robertson Band plays at the fireworks celebration at the Citgo every year and other events, such as weddings.

“Duggar is a popular local band that is booked up. He has been playing club dates in Nashville. We lucked up getting him. He is playing at the Gulf Shores Park grand opening and will work that in with the concert here,” Prince said.

Door prizes obtained by Tuesday were: gift certificates from La Herradura, M.L. Awbrey, 431 Nail, Now Showing, a one-month membership or tanning contract from the Fitness Vine and the Athletic Club, he said. He hopes people will give over and above the admission or refreshment fees. On the refreshment list are popcorn, pizza, chips, pickles, drinks and hot dogs. T-shirts will also be for sale for $12 each or two for $20. Glow necklaces will be $2.

The Traylor Retirement Community and Therapy Resources of East Alabama, where Prince is employed, are sponsoring this event.

“I think it will be a really good time for a really good cause,” he said, “so come and have a good time.”

The fundraising goal to make the playground dream a reality, including cash and donated materials, is $140,000. With the volunteer labor this could be a $250,000 to $300,000 project, Denton said.

When he was club president in 2004-2005 and proposed the park, members immediately bought into the project, he said. Due to the Kiwanis Club’s generosity in donating the land and the city making it available plans for the park are moving forward, he said.

They looked at similar projects in Dadeville and Alexander City and believe they could do the same thing here, he said.

Some people already working to make this a reality are Rotarians and some are not. But it is already a community effort with the Kiwanis Club donating the land at the old Kiwanis Park near Traylor Retirement Community to the city.

The city is providing the land to build the park, which will be the city’s park when it is completed, Denton stressed. The club may help maintain the park but it will be the people’s park.

Seiffert agrees saying, “We’re spearheading the project. We are hoping, expecting, a lot of help from the community. It’s a community project.”

Most people are excited about the park because there are some smaller parks but no first-class playground here, Seiffert said.

“We need all the volunteers we can get before we begin the five-day build and all donations will be greatly appreciated. This is a one-shot deal and we need all the help we can get,” Seiffert said.

Committees have been set for everything from volunteers to food for the volunteers the week of the build, to daycare for workers to fundraising and public relations, he said.

Schoolchildren have already been involved in the designing of the park, and Seiffert said that intense involvement in the early stages would carry on with a “Name the Park Contest.”

During the build, daycare will be provided for volunteer workers at Knight-Enloe Elementary School. Denton stressed everyone can do something during the build, whether it is cooking, bringing food or tools, providing daycare or working on the project.

Denton said they are seeking assistance from all church and civic groups. They need 50 skilled and 50 unskilled workers each day and 300 on Saturday and Sunday.

A skilled worker is someone who can use power tools and saws and measure and cut a straight line, he said. Leathers Associates, who specializes in playgrounds, will oversee the project, and once materials are on site security will be provided 24 hours a day, he said.

Carpenters, electricians and others are desperately needed, as well as people who can just carry boards to where they are needed or hold them while someone else nails them in place. There will be a constant need for cleanup such as areas where wood is cut, he said.

“We’re going to have a need for tools; if you come to work bring tools,” Denton said. From 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. the 10 construction captains will plan the day’s activities. People can choose to work three or four hours or eight hours.

“We would like people to go ahead and sign up. Hopefully, some industries will get their employees to come and work a day. There are hundreds of skilled people in Roanoke. We’re just asking people to help us out,” Denton said.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served every workday. Local restaurants may help some with food donations, he said. He plans to meet with PTAs, the garden clubs, the Junior Service League and any other interested group.

“We’ll do a presentation to any club or group in the city that is interested,” Denton said.

So far the group has raised 20 percent of the goal but he anticipates obtaining 60 percent or better from corporate donations, and those contacts are just now being made. Those who have been approached have been very enthusiastic, he said.

The park is not just going to be swing sets and monkey bars, he said, pointing to one area named the Tot Lot where those five years old and under can play in safety without being run over by bigger kids. The different park areas will be tuned to different ages.

Major sponsors of the park will be recognized on a permanent display.

Sept. 13 is organization day. A representative from Leathers Associates will go over the plans, look at the site and meet all day. The goal is to have 50 percent of the funds in hand by that date.

Sept. 20 a charity golf tournament is planned at the Roanoke Country Club with the proceeds going to the park. There will be refreshments and prizes

Sept. 21 various members will go to Elba to look at the construction of their playground to get some pointers. Roanoke Schools superintendent Chuck Marcum has committed to doing a school fundraiser.

Tommy Fincher may be the first volunteer. Last week he was using his bulldozer to clear the lot free of charge.

There are coordinators for every aspect of the build. Volunteer lists are needed now for planning purposes. If you want to volunteer call past president Mark Traylor, Denton, Seiffert, Prince, any Rotarian or anyone working with the project to get on the list.

And go to the fundraiser Friday. More information will be available there.

The kids are back in school and there is no football game so this is a perfect time for the family to get together and have some fun, Prince said.