Rotary discusses all-inclusive playground

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plans for Lion’s Park with Melanie McGuire

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  • Rotary discusses all-inclusive playground
    Rotary discusses all-inclusive playground
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Perry Rotary Club met for their weekly luncheon meeting on Monday, Dec. 5 at Perry Golf and County Club. President Tracey Scherman called the meeting to order and called the group to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a prayer led by Rotarian Mason Bolay, and then all sang the first verse of America in unison.

Scherman introduced Rotarian Melanie McGuire, member of what they call ‘The Cool Moms Club’, which are the group of women who worked so hard to bring us the Splash Pad in Lion’s Park in 2019.

“We worked really hard to get the Splash Pad up and going, and when we were working on that, we thought about what else we could do, so we came up with a concept plan,” McGuire said.

Using the same company, Craftsman, that was used for the Splash Pad, the group applied for a Matching Grant through Lions International and they were approved.

They also got a grant from the Malzahn Family Fund, and the new Love’s donated $15,000 to the project, followed by a donation from Ditch Witch Toro for a whopping $25,000.

Following those donated monies, the group also received a grant through Oklahoma Rural Rehab Corporation, to total approximately $173,000 for the installment of a new, all-inclusive playground at Lion’s Park. The new playground will include ramp access, special rubber for wheelchairs and for those who have a hard time with slick surfaces, and will be accessible for all kids, no matter their disability.

This project will begin construction in early Spring of next year. This is a ‘community build’ so Ditch Witch, and other local companies will be involved in the construction of the new playground. “We want to leverage the community as much as we possibly can,” McGuire said.

These ladies have another plan to tackle once this one is done, though it is still in it’s infancy... And that will be plans to find a way to get a new pool and facility.

Two new Student Rotarians gave the Student Report. Jake Thomas and Desmond Williams told the group what plans were going on in school this week. There was a basketball game Tuesday, against Newkirk, wrestling against Owasso Thursday, and there is no school Friday.

The group adjourned the meeting after the recital of the 4-Way Test.