They just beat the snow. Members of Bowden’s Community Action Park committee and dozens of volunteers swung hammers, shovelled dirt and painted boards during a build day on Oct.
They just beat the snow.
Members of Bowden’s Community Action Park committee and dozens of volunteers swung hammers, shovelled dirt and painted boards during a build day on Oct. 26 where the park’s outdoor ice rink and horseshoe pits were completed.
Roughly 100 people, including a large group of children and teenagers, took part in the build at the green space where the park will be located at the intersection of 22 Avenue and 21 Street.
Members of Bowden’s fire department, which held an open house at the same time as the build, also helped out and community members and the town donated equipment and some materials for the project.
"I’m very proud of our community for coming out," said Keith Bailey, the committee’s chairman, adding the organization decided to use the manpower available during the build and some of the money the committee raised for the park project to spruce up some other public spaces in the town.
He said volunteers spread soil and planted grass seeds at Bowden’s Mildred Lane Memorial Park and also repaired a fence at Bowden Grandview School.
The committee has raised roughly $85,000 for the park project with a $50,000 donation from Red Deer County, $10,000 from the Bowden Agricultural Society and $5,000 from the Town of Bowden.
Six young people were also recognized on the morning of the build for raising $2,000 for the project by seeking donations in the community.
The committee and Olds’ 360 Snow and Skate awarded the young people with gift certificates for their efforts.
Although the committee had announced this summer that Let Them Be Kids, a Canadian volunteer organization that helps communities build playgrounds, would match any money the committee raises for playground equipment for the park and would also provide other forms of support for the project, Bailey said during the build that the committee would now be using only money it has raised for the project.
He would not comment further on whether Let Them Be Kids would still be involved with the project.
"This is going to be CAP’s project," he said, adding the committee is grateful to Let Them Be Kids for helping to motivate the effort to build the park.
A request for comment from Let Them Be Kids was not returned before press time.
Bailey said the ice rink will be ready for use this winter and while gravel was laid down for the skateboard park component of the project, concrete will not be poured until the spring.
Other parts of the park that will be built in the coming weeks are a picnic shelter and a utility shed and the committee plans to include a splash park in the future.
The projected cost of the park is $144,000.
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