Submitted by Ashley Webster
CARTHAGE, Tenn. – The Smith County Adult Leadership Class of 2017 had numerous service project ideas to execute after the completion of their leadership program, but one stood out among the others…helping with the installation and some fundraising for the first special needs playground equipment in Smith County.
The idea all thirteen class participants agreed upon during their first outing together, a day-and-a-half retreat, was the group did not want to make their project revolve around fundraising. Reason being, Smith County businesses and individuals are asked numerous times a year to donate money or items; the group didn’t want to put that burden or commitment onto our local community again.
Once the Smith County Leadership group established the overall baseline goal of their project, they did an anonymous vote amongst themselves where the project that got majority vote was the group’s service project. That is how they became the workforce behind the installation of the first special needs playground equipment at Crump Paris Park’s playground Kidz Central!
The first groundbreaking took place June 2, 2018 with the help of Smith County Mayor Michael Nesbitt’s willingness to volunteer his time to be the group’s large equipment operator.
To date the group has disassembled and reinstalled the playground’s fencing for the equipment’s new area, leveled out and placed gravel which will become the base for the area’s rubber matting which is designed to allow wheelchair access.
The project’s completion date is projected for early Fall since the Leadership project’s to-do list is only a quarter of the way complete. Tasks to come after the installation of the matting are assembly and installation of equipment, designing and pouring of the sidewalk, and assembly of the fence pickets and gate.
For those of you who are familiar with the original phase of Kidz Central, personalized fence picket sales was the creative route utilized to help with the funding of the playground. As mentioned before, the group did not want to make fundraising the center of their project and got lucky with the fact that Mrs. Lisa Hembree, Special Education Coordinator for Smith County, had the funding logistics for the playground equipment already worked out. Even though this is the case, the 2017 Leadership group would like to let the community know the sale of pickets has been brought out of retirement at this time to help pay for the new section of fencing and overall upkeep and maintenance for Kidz Central Park.
A personalized picket can be purchased for thirty dollars and is a great way to commemorate a person or event in your life. An application can be obtained at the County Mayor’s office and payment can be dropped off or mailed into the same office at 122 Turner High Circle Suite 100 in Carthage.
Upon the completion of the special needs playground equipment project this fall, the Leadership group invites everyone to support this new asset whether you and your family will be actually using the equipment or by spreading the word about it with family and friends in our local community and neighboring counties.
Photograph Credits: David Anderson, Sharon Jendras, and Justin Mauldin
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