Edmond 66 Park Rotary Playground Dedication!

Rotary playground many years in making!!!!

Edmond Rotary Club dedicated the Route 66 city park playground Aug. 20 with kudos handed around to the City of Edmond staff and the numerous funders of the project.

The club partnered with the Rotary district office, international office, 35 local donor Rotarians and a Rotary Club in Fortaleza-Planalto, Brazil to raise the $46,000, not to mention the services provided at no charge by the city and parks department to build the playground at the not-yet-opened amateur softball park on State Highway 66.

The project was four-and-a-half years in the making, after the city bought a 146-acre flood plain to repurpose for the $6 million park and ball fields in 2007.  Two years ago, ground was broken and phase I has four fields, a concession stand and the playground. The fields are not yet open, and the playground needs a special net over it to prevent fly balls from hurting children and a special safety-surface on the playground field installed.

Jay Buxton, this year’s president of the Club, was the inspiration behind the Rotary playground seven years ago. It was designed by member David Hornbeek, and furnished by Shan Shepard and his wife, owners of Noah’s Park and Playgrounds, which worked “tirelessly” to accommodate the needs of the club and the city, said Buxton.

Buxton also credited granite provider Brian Cogbill for helping with the granite stone for the plaque, and ensuring it did not look like a “gravestone.”

The playground was dedicated to the children who will enjoy it, Buxton said.