The Redmond Kiwanis Club, Friends of Sam Johnson Park and the City of Redmond have almost reached the finish line in their fund-raising for the Sam Johnson Park Improvement Project.
Only $55,000 is needed to achieve their goal of $700,000 to build a custom, fully accessible and inclusive playground in Sam Johnson Park for the community with a deadline to raise those funds by July 1, 2014.
In May, with $250,000 remaining to raise, an anonymous local donor stepped up and said they would match up to $112,500 to close the gap on the fund-raising effort and move this project forward if the remaining $112,500 match could be raised by July 1, 2014. Since that time over $55,000 has been raised through local donations from businesses and individuals.
“This is truly a grassroots community effort. People are sending in checks for $25, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000,” explained Project Manager Heather Richards, community development director for the City of Redmond. “I am proud of Redmond and Redmond should be proud of itself – this is a community investment. Thank you to everyone for their donations.” $580,000 of the overall project budget will be raised through donations and grants. The City of Redmond is contributing $120,000 to the effort. “That is over a half million dollars invested in a community park through donations and grants.” According to Richards the $700,000 will be spent on playground equipment that is 100 percent accessible and has the capacity for 450 kids ($350,000) and accessible flooring including site preparations (14,000 square feet = $250,000) and an accessible 80 foot long climbing wall with slides ($100,000).
The three partners, Redmond Kiwanis Club, Friends of Sam Johnson Park, and the City of Redmond, have been working on this project for the past 2 ½ years. The first year was spent on community outreach – what did Redmond residents want to see in the project, how could it serve the whole community, etc. The remaining 18 months has been devoted to fund-raising. The City expects to break ground in February 2015 and host a community-build in May 2015 with a ribbon-cutting right before Memorial Day weekend.
“This is a much needed amenity in our community that will serve everyone who lives here and those who visit – people of all abilities and ages,” added Redmond Kiwanis Club member Gary Ollerenshaw.
“Sam Johnson was a charter member of the Redmond Kiwanis Club, and when he donated the land for the park to the City, the Redmond Kiwanis Club adopted the park and partnered with the City to make it what it is today. The pavilion and playground were both built and installed by the Redmond Kiwanis Club. As part of our 75th anniversary it is only fitting that we partner on this effort to build a premier playground at Sam Johnson Park that serves children of all abilities.”
Recently the Redmond Kiwanis Club learned that the Sam Johnson Park Improvement Project was chosen as one of the ten projects worldwide by the Kiwanis International Club to celebrate Kiwanis’ centennial in 2015.
To donate: Credit cards are accepted via paypal at www.samjohnsonpark.com, or send a check made out to the Redmond Kiwanis Foundation to the Attention of: Sam Johnson Park Improvement Project, 716 SW Evergreen Avenue, Redmond, OR 97756. All donations are tax deductible and 100% of the proceeds will go towards the construction of the playground.
The State of Oregon loaned the City of Redmond a Monkey face climbing boulder for the past nine months to help market the efforts of this improvement project. Today it was relocated to Smith Rock its permanent home. A new monkey face climbing boulder will be fabricated for the Sam Johnson Park Improvement Project and will be installed in the Spring, 2015. The City of Redmond thanks the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department for their generous loan of the boulder for the past nine months, and appreciates the partnership with Smith Rock Park.
