PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A park that has served the city of Presque Isle for over 40 years is in the midst of a face lift. A splash pad is currently under construction, and local organizations are working to provide a place for children of all abilities to play.
At Riverside Park, workers have removed the old playground equipment, and the Presque Isle Kiwanis Club, Presque Isle Rotary Club and the United Way of Aroostook have joined forces with the city to bring the first adaptive playground to be built in its place.
The playground effort recently received its first piece of equipment: An OmniSPin spinner, courtesy of local Kiwanians.
Recently the Presque Isle Kiwanis Club competed for the chance to win $25,000 in the 2017 Legacy of Play Contest put on by Landscape Structures. The club placed in the top 10 out of more than 50 clubs in the nationwide competition. In appreciation for the club’s commitment to bringing this new adaptive playground to the community, contest organizers awarded them an OmniSpin Spinner to be added to the playground project.
The value of the spinner is $6,800. The equipment, which consists of a large bowl-like surface children can climb into, rotates easily on its pedestal when pushed. Kim Smith, City of Presque Isle grant writer, said it is designed to offer children of all abilities valuable vestibular sensory stimulation and will encourage interactive play between all children.
Kiwanis board member AJ Cloukey said, “Receiving a piece of adaptive playground equipment as a prize for placing in the top 10 in this year’s Legacy of Play contest is a huge boost to the overall project. Competing in the contest has also resulted in increased awareness of the Riverside Park Playground project.
“We are very proud of our community for voting and helping to raise awareness of this much-needed project,” he said.
The other organizations also have efforts underway to enhance the playground, including the United Way of Aroostook, who has already raised $4000.
Sherry Locke, United Way executive director, said, “We are so excited to be part of this community project and to be able to provide our children with the new playground this community needs. The children of Aroostook County are our future and by providing them with a safe and creative place to play we are showing our commitment to our community and to our future.”
In addition, the Presque Isle Rotary Club will support the Riverside Park Playground Project over the coming year by designating the park as the recipient of a portion of their 70th Annual Rotary Auction, which will take place Dec. 16.
Mandy Pooler Hall is the new Rotary President and is excited to be a part of this new collaboration.
“These three organizations have individually accomplished so many amazing things within our community,” she said. “I am so excited to see what we can accomplish when we unite and work towards a common goal. I think this collaboration will help impress upon the community how important this project is in the revitalization of our downtown.”
The Riverside Park Community Project Steering Committee has worked to develop four different possible playground designs at different price points. The money that is raised by these three civic organizations, along with the City of Presque Isle, will go towards a park that will bring safe and inclusive play to the Riverside Park area.
“The Steering Committee hopes that this playground will complete the revitalization of the family-friendly area that the city has been working so hard to provide for its residents,” Smith said.
The three organizations are coordinating a community-wide fundraising drive for the project. More information on that effort will be made public at a later time. Individuals and organizations interested in donating to the project are encouraged to reach out to the United Way of Aroostook or any member of the Presque Isle Rotary or Kiwanis Clubs.
