Months of planning, preparation and community-wide support will culminate this week when 235 volunteers who signed up will construct the new Lake Avenue Park playground on Build Day, Saturday, April 8, at the park, 439 N. Lake Ave., Apopka.
But before construction could kick off, some groundwork must be done first.
Forty volunteers have been requested to show up at Lake Avenue Park for Prep Day 1 on Thursday, April 6, and Prep Day 2 on Friday, April 7. On Thursday, volunteers will inventory and label all equipment, dig all playground holes, and receive all deliveries.
Activities on Friday are yet to be determined.
“If needed, we will complete any unfinished tasks from Prep Day1,” said city spokesman Robert Sargent in an email.
Volunteers from Foresters Financial, the city of Apopka, the Apopka Rotary Club, the Big Potato Foundation, KaBOOM!, and the community will pitch in on Build Day.
Jon DeClue, past president of the Rotary Club of Apopka, said it’s an honor and a privilege to be involved with this project.
“We’re excited and thrilled to be involved to bring this to our community,” he said. “This all kind of started when I was president last year, when Shakenya (Jackson) — she’s the grant writer for the city – has been instrumental in the whole deal. Her grant writing to KaBOOM! generated this.”
The new playground, estimated to cost $90,000, will consist of a rock wall, a ripple bridge, a spin cup, a triple racer slide, a Playdozer and a tire swing. The design was inspired by the drawings children rendered on Design Day last January, when they were encouraged to imagine their dream playground.
The playground design, targeting ages 2-12, has an area of 2,500 square feet, a perimeter of 200 feet and a user capacity of 49.
The City Council unanimously voted on one of the playground’s three concept designs at a special February 6 meeting in order to meet KaBOOM!’s February 7 deadline.
Sargent noted the community-wide excitement.
“Residents expressed lots of enthusiasm,” he said. “This playground will be the cool place to play.”
Build Week Schedule
Prep Day 1: Thursday, April 6
- 8 a.m. – Volunteers arrive and register
- TBD – All prep work completed
Prep Day 2: Friday, April 6
- 8:00 AM – Volunteers arrive and register
- TBD – All prep work completed
Build Day: Saturday, April 6
- 6:30 a.m. – Team Leaders arrive
- 7:30 a.m. – Volunteers park, arrive by shuttle and register
- 8:30 a.m. – Kick-off ceremony
- 2:30 p.m. – Ribbon-cutting ceremony
Build Day will occur rain or shine. Volunteers are advised to dress in weather-appropriate clothes and closed-toe shoes that they don’t mind dirtying or staining with paint.
Parking on site will be very limited, so a shuttle will be provided from the old little league lot on East Martin Street and North Park Avenue, where vehicles can be parked, to the playground site.
All youth under the legal working age for this state will be welcome to participate in youth activities but will not be able to participate in building in the construction areas.
Breakfast, lunch and lots of water will be served. Gloves and other safety materials will be given out for the tasks that require them. Foresters Financial will also provide t-shirts for everyone.
A DJ will be on site to provide entertainment.
Sign up to volunteer by clicking here.
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