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Recreation
A New Set of Wheels
Group helps raise money for playground equipment at Firehouse Park
Firehouse Park provides children with a fun place to play. The park’s theme comes from the fire station next door.The two acres of land next to the Lancaster Fire Station have had a variety of uses in the past 130 years, including turns as a cemetery and as a parking lot.
But thanks to the tenacity of some local residents and the generosity of the entire community, Firehouse Park will host more playful activities in the future.
In July 2006, the Lancaster Parks & Recreation department installed new playground equipment at the downtown site, a small parcel of land on East Chestnut Street.
After city leaders decided to dedicate the space to a park, some playground equipment was relocated to the site.
But age and weather took their toll on the equipment, prompting a group of local citizens to seek an upgrade to the swings and other equipment used by neighborhood children, as well as the students of nearby St. Mary’s Elementary School.
A group known as Friends of Firehouse Park was formed to develop the park, says Noreen Norberto, the committee’s chairperson. A fundraising drive raised $70,000 through individual donations and fundraising events. The committee then got a big lift with a generous contribution from the Fairfield County Foundation.
The playground equipment chosen for the park has a firefighting theme, an ideal choice for a park located next to the fire station. The equipment includes two slides, a steering wheel and wheel wells to entertain elementary school-aged children.
A set of handicap-accessible swings appeals to toddlers as well as special-needs kids.
Along with the new equipment, five memorial benches were added to the park. The committee also would like to see further improvements to the basketball court, a popular recreation spot for the firefighters, as well as local youth.
The firefighters are an integral part of the community they serve, Norberto says.
“It’s nice to know the firefighters are right there for emergencies, or any other needs,” Norberto says of the local firehouse.
In addition to fulfilling local recreational needs, the playground project has had spin-off effects, she adds.
“The playground has been very beneficial to the community, and it has encouraged others to do the same in other areas of the city,” Norberto says.
Other projects have included a playground initiative at Rising Park. Parents in the surrounding area followed the lead of Firehouse Park supporters and spearheaded a $130,000 fund drive to upgrade the equipment. The new equipment at Rising Park is designed for preschoolers, the park’s primary constituents.
“We say 2006 was the year of the playgrounds,” says Dave Bogear, superintendent of Lancaster Parks & Recreation.
Story by Dan Markham
Photo by Brian McCord
Additional Recreation Articles
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