By DUANE NOLLEN
OSKALOOSA — The city of Beacon needs some new playground equipment at the City Hall grounds, and Jennifer Thomas-Maxwell has been working for about a year to make it happen.
She and a group of volunteers are holding a fund-raising event today and Saturday at Beacon City Hall to help pay for the equipment and landscaping.
“It started because some of our equipment will no longer be covered by our (the city’s) insurance,” Thomas-Maxwell said.
The cost of the new playground equipment from Boland Recreation is estimated at $32,758. Other items such as concrete footings and landscaping bring the project total to $52,672. Thomas-Maxwell said that several local businesses have made $19,914 in in-kind contributions to cover the concrete and landscaping expenses. To date, Thomas-Maxwell has secured $8,187 in monetary donations from local businesses.
Thomas-Maxwell said some of the current playground equipment will be kept for the new playground at the City Hall grounds.
“We are keeping our two spring-mounted horses,” she said. “We’re keeping one swing set.”
Thomas-Maxwell said there will be many family activities during the two-day fund-raising event at City Hall. There will be carnival rides, games, concessions, a bake sale, face painting, a street dance and an auction.
“We’ll also be doing family pictures,” she said. Bubbafly Photography will do the family portraits.
“We’ll have small games. … There will be a greased pig contest Saturday … and a street dance Saturday night,” she said.
Almost 30 local businesses are contributing $4,494 of merchandise for the auction.
Thomas-Maxwell said a group of volunteers is helping with the fund-raiser, but she needs more helpers for playground installation. She said a date has not been set yet for the playground installation.
Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com
