1. Pickets – Some of you may have noticed that your pickets were not installed for the grand opening. Here is the long and short of it – Our picket supplier needed time to ship the engraved pickets before the build. Instead of cutting off picket opportunities on May 1, we decided to continue taking orders and engrave them ourselves during the build. However, the machine we lined up could not produce the same quality of picket. Therefore, the decision was made to get them professionally done and install them at a later date (not too distant). Please watch our website and Facebook page for updates.
2. The Makita 18V impact drivers that were used during the build were provided by Windermere. These drills are now for sale, and for $225, you can take one of the drills home together with two batteries, a bit kit, charger and case - a $300 value. Please contact Mike Nestor at 360-618-4862 to take advantage of this great deal.
And the last announcement is probably the biggest for some of you... we are not done yet!
3. Bathrooms – It doesn’t end here! As a condition of our permit, we are going to be building bathrooms at the park, and so we are still asking for your continued support to help make this happen.
The web site is in the process of a makeover as is the signage at the playground. We will roll out the plan for the bathroom in July. Stay tuned...
5 days and 1,040 volunteers the Stanwood-Camano Community has a new playground! 10,000 square feet of absolute fun awaits you and your family at the Rotary Adventure Playground in Freedom Park!
The thank you list is long for this project – each and every one of our volunteers, our sponsors and all those who stretched to make it happen – Thank you!
Jake Whittenberg from KING 5 TV may have summed it up best when he said that you know you have really accomplished something when the satellite truck rolls up out front. (A special thank you to Jake, Owen and their crew from KING for their coverage.)
Below are some photos from day five. In the coming days we will be posting more pictures and a time lapse video of the entire build.
Wow! Four days into the build and it just keeps getting better! We have some serious work to do tomorrow to be ready for the 6pm ribbon cutting but all the same what a day today was.
More than 350 people volunteered today hauling more than 5,000 yards of bark, building components, adding railings and grab holds and even putting the pickets on the fence. On top of all this our team of artists are painting and creating magic everywhere as soon as the building is complete.
Sunday is the big day so please consider coming back (or coming for the first time). The more people the more we can do and the better the playground gets. As you can see from today’s pictures – this is no ordinary playground.
Day Three came and went in a blur of saws, drills and a lot of gravel being moved into position. It seemed that every time you stopped to look around there was something that wasn’t there before… two boats came into view, the pavilion was framed out, a climbing wall sprang from the ground and way WAY more.
Another huge thank you to all those who came and worked with us today. There were many families and many folks who took the day off to lend their expertise.
Day Four – Saturday – is a critical day for the project. The ribbon cutting is on Sunday at 6pm and it all needs to be ready for some serious playing. While we love all the honks and waves from folks as they drive by we would love it even more if you stopped and spent some time with us. For an hour, for four, for the day.
Here are some photos from today. Check the main web site for more…
Oh what can be done in a day when hearts are willing. Today saw tremendous activity within the three production areas. Artists produced amazing pieces and the soon-to-be famous bouldering wall arrived from Jack Gunter’s studio. The pre-fabrication area produced many different elements which are now waiting for installation in the playground. The playground saw the cement trucks arrive and it poured for hours. The slab for the pavilion is in with a special treatment to make it look like a wood plank floor. The many different elements continue to be framed in and prepared for the years and years of little feet ahead.
If you have not come down yet clear your calendar because we have a tool with your name on it!
A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers today!
Here are some photos from the end of day two… There are more photos on the web site under BUILD PHOTOS.
Oh what a day! Day One of the build was a huge success thanks to the nearly 200 volunteers that came during the three shifts. In the pre-fabrication tent platforms, balance beams, roof structures and all sorts of cool pieces of soon to be seen elements came together as a dozen workstations applied power to materials.
On the playground site all the holes that were so carefully created during the pre-build had their posts installed and the holes filled. An exact science but with three work teams measuring, re-measuring, leveling and finally filling the posts were in and are ready for day two!
Around the playground the picket fence is starting to take shape. The fence team did a fantastic job hitting this project hard on the first day. With more than 1,000 pickets to go up this is no ordinary project and these guys made an excellent start.
The day started out like summer, blue skies and warm sun. I was thinking we should start handing out sunscreen. But, true northwest weather came rolling in sometime in the mid afternoon taking care of that need. Our designers stated at the end of the day… “Well, I feel like we went through three seasons today.” Indeed.
The food was fantastic, the art studio is crafting excellent pieces for the structures and the weather really wasn’t that bad to work in – I mean how many days do you get to uncrate slides and swings?
Monday and Tuesday were the official "pre-build" days for the project. A lot of organization of resources and preliminary site work has been completed so that the hundreds of volunteers for the project could easily get to the tasks at hand. Thank you to all of you who have helped with this significant work!
After months of writing press releases and making the words come out about the playground I am providing a tid-bit unofficial creative writing with apologies to every English instructor I have ever had and a handful of folks that make a living from the written word. I just couldn't resist....
Twas the night before the build and all through the house
every creature was stirring – even the mouse!
The hammers where hung, the drills charged
The community was ready – even someone named Marge.
In the morning it would start,
the hammers would swing, the saws would cut
The community would come with all their heart
In the end the children would come to play
From near and far to swing, to slide some to just imiginate
(yes, we made that word up – we’re creative some say)
But before the play there is work to be done
Clear your calendar, mark the date
This is a community project that has begun.
WoW! Time has flown and this blog is way behind! Let’s get you caught up on all the latest news.
There is a ton to tell and the next handful of entries will bring you up to date.
The big news… we are one week away to the build! Are you ready because we can hardly sleep from the excitement – it is like the night before going to camp….
In everyone's enthusiasm I have been able to secure some top secret information to share with you my loyal reader… don’t tell anyone. Check out these sketches of the wonders to come…
Here at the top secret department we have learned that the Everett Silvertips’ own Lincoln will be making an appearance at the playground on Sunday May 23rd.
Shhhhh…. Don’t tell.
With the timer counting down quickly the playground is nearing all of its goals but needs just a wee bit more to push it over the finish line. With this in mind… have you???
Volunteered? Volunteers are the pixie dust to making the magic happen starting May 19th. From those skilled in construction to those who don’t know one end of the hammer from the other… You don’t like tools you say? Well, we need help with all the services and support that is needed to keep more than 700 volunteers running like a well oiled machine. If you have not signed up for a shift (or two… or three) there is no time like now… visit www.iHeartParks.org and hit the volunteer button!
Contributed? From pickets to slides to outright donations we are less than $20,000 short of the total project goal. Be a star and put your name in the playground on a fence picket. Be an all star and support a component that will bring years and years of joy to area youth.
Lent? Tools we are talking about here. The amount of tools that we will use to create this masterpiece is simply amazing. You have many of the items sitting in your garage and we would love to borrow them with the promise they will be returned in as good of shape as they are now. Seriously, no risk and just think what those tools might learn in the process…. I know I am hoping mine learn new skills….
If you have any of the tools on the following list that you can lend us while we build the Playground, please bring them to us during "Tool Check-In" at the Playground Site at Terry's Corner.
TOOL CHECK-IN: SATURDAY, MAY 15 from 12:00 to 5:00 pm or SUNDAY, MAY 16 from 12:00 to 5:00 pm
All tools will be labeled and are GUARANTEED to be returned in the SAME or BETTER condition!
Jig Saws
Reciprocating Saws (sawz-all)Extension cords - 25' and longerDrills (3/8" corded)HammersLevels (36" or longer)Rakes (metal garden)RoutersCircular SawsShovelsSpeed SquaresTape Measures - 25' preferredWheelbarrows
A sunny day met a crown of folks at site of the new playground for the official groundbreaking. The event was topped off with an amazing dirt cake (with thanks to the Camano Plaza IGA!) and some dirt movement.
Two wonderful announcements from this past week!
1) Home Depot has agreed to provide 150 volunteers to help build on Thursday May 20th and they have agreed to provide some of the necessary materials!
2) We received an unsolicited donation from a donor who wished to be anonymous for $30,000!
A huge playground thank you to both of these generous gifts.
We have about a month and a half left before the build starts and we are down to the last $30,000 needed to completely fund the project. While we continue to work with a number of potential donors to meet our goal please let us know if you have any suggestions or resources to will help make this playground a reality.
This is a community playground and we are thankful for the community that is funding and will be building it!