Junior Service Club Playground Breaks Ground

On Saturday, March 23, members of the Junior Service Club held a ground-breaking ceremony for the JSC Boundless Playground at Edwardsville Township Park. Also in attendance were Township Supervisor Mike Campbell, Edwardsville Mayor Gary Niebur, Glen Carbon Mayor Rob Jackstadt, and Don Roberts of Cunningham Recreation. In the upcoming weeks, Matt Pfund from Pfund Construction will oversee site preparation in anticipation of the upcoming Community Build Weekend on April 19-21. Once the ground is leveled, concrete will be poured which is required to support the poured-in-place solid surfacing. On April 10, the custom-made central tree structure will be delivered and installed. Volunteer training for Build Weekend team leaders will occur during the days leading up to the build weekend. The Community Build Weekend will take place all day Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 with additional work being done on April 21 if needed. Teams of volunteers will be lead by a skilled contractor or construction worker and supervised by Cunningham Recreation staff members. Volunteers are still needed for all shifts. Please visit the JSC website at www.edglenjuniorservice.orgto sign-up. On April 22, the poured-in-place surfacing will be installed and on May 3, landscaping will begin. Planning is underway to celebrate the playground’s grand opening, which will be open to the public. The date of grand opening is still to be determined, but the club is hoping for mid-May.

Junior Service Club president and Playground co-chair, Kelly Schlechte states "JSC has been working on this project for over 3 years and we all are very excited to see the construction phase started. In less than 2 months our community will be able to enjoy a fun day out at the park." Schlechte also commends the efforts of her fellow club members in raising $430,000 for the project and thanks the community for their continued support, as well. “This was truly a group effort, and we thank all those involved in making this dream a reality.” says Schlechte. With support of First Cloverleaf Bank, the club is organizing its final fundraiser that will directly benefit the playground. The Boundless Playground 5K will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at Township Park. Please visit the JSC website at www.edglenjuniorservice.orgto sign up or to sponsor the event.

The JSC Boundless Playground at Edwardsville Township Park will be the first public playground of this kind in the St. Louis area. Playgrounds that meet Boundless Playgrounds' standards are sensory-rich, rigorous and challenging for everyone, in addition to featuring accommodations for children with physical, developmental, cognitive and sensory disabilities. The playground design will be wheelchair accessible throughout, featuring double wide ramps to the tallest slides and towers, adapted swings and equipment, sensory stimulation activities and easily negotiable terrain. Children with and without disabilities can develop essential skills for life as they learn together through play.

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