Building a new playground at Knight Park
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Join our 5K Royal Race and Family Fun Run!
Our Mission
A group of concerned Collingswood parents have formed a committee to raise funds to rebuild the playground at Knight Park. The playground facility is a huge draw for families and the old playground equipment was in desperate need of updating for appearance, quality and safety reasons.
The goal of the project is to create a new, safe, accessible, eco-friendly and low maintenance.playground facility for children toddler age through 12 years of age that encourages physical fitness and development, social interaction, creative and cognitive growth and imaginative play.
With the support of town businesses, civic groups, and families we have built Phase One (for children 5 and under) and hope to raise $70,000 to build Phase Two for children 6 to 12 by Spring 2011
About Knight Park
Knight Park is over 60 acres of public park given to the Trustees of Knight Park in 1893 by the family of Edward C. Knight. Collingswood public schools, the Little League, soccer and other sports use the park. The Borough also uses the park for many of its recreational activities including the Knight Park Concert Series and the Tuesday and Thursday Movies in Knight Park. Most importantly the park is used by the families of Collingswood for daily activities such as walking the dog, jogging, playing with their children and other activities that greatly improve the quality of daily life.
About The Playground
We want to bring a safe new playground to Collingswood that will be an asset to the area, a playground that all of our children can enjoy and one that our community will be proud of for years to come. All the new equipment and surfacing installed will meet the current standards of both the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association and the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
For All Our Children
All children love to play. But, the current playground at Knight Park does not accommodate all children, especially those with special needs. The playground we will design will have many features that will benefit children of all abilities. The new equipment be accessible by children with special needs and will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The current plan calls for different play areas for a variety of age groups including 2 and under, 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. The toddler area will feature lower levels and slides, and manipulative features to promote gross motor skill development. In addition there will be a trike path, seating and shade structures, as well as a perimeter fence that will enclose part of the playground area.
Building a Dream
PHASE ONE was completed in October 2008. Pictures coming soon!
We hope to complete PHASE TWO in Fall 2011 and we are seeking funding through a variety of sources including individual donations, corporate donations, local business donations, grants from government agencies and other non-profit organization and fundraising through the sale of items at various local functions such as the Farmers Market. Anything that you can give would be appreciated and will help us reach the goal. See our future fundraising projects or write to us and share your ideas.
The playground will be built using the “community build” method which will reduce the cost of the project by 30-40%, involve children and family stakeholders in the process, and create a strong sense of pride throughout the community. We are gathering a list of volunteers to help with the build next spring. Are you interested? Please send us an e-mail and we'll be in touch when we schedule the build.
Community involvement is crucial to the success of our playground project. The barn-raising approach of building the structure, the grass roots fund-raising, and the involvement of our children, require this to be a very cooperative effort. Donations, sponsors, and grants will fund the project. Volunteers will build the playground from the ground up. Our children will lead the way with their imaginations and their enthusiasm. Any one interested in becoming involved with this exciting project should contact committee chair Connie Correia Fisher at 856-869-5207 or through e-mail.
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This playground is an investment in the Collingswood Community and the children and families that will use the expanded and updated facilities for years to come.
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