Community builds Calypso playground
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 14, 2016 11:57 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Volunteers Donnie McGeehan, top, and Karen Marcin look over the plans for a piece of the playground equipment.
CALYPSO -- Community volunteers, including members of the University of Mount Olive baseball teams, turned out Friday and Saturday to build a new playground at Albritton Park.
The playground equipment company representatives arrived Thursday to map out the site and dig holes for the support poles.
"They were back here this morning (Friday) by 8 o'clock," said Debbie Jones, chairman of the committee spearheading the project. "Crews started showing up. The University of Mount Olive baseball players were here. Some local volunteers were here, and as you can see, work is progressing."
Inmates from the Duplin County jail helped as well.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Mrs. Jones said she felt "wonderful" to see the project nearing fruition.
"I am excited, I am just upset that a ribbon cutting is not going to happen Sunday," she said. "Our walking trail is still not paved. That is to happen Tuesday and tomorrow (Saturday) we probably will have a picnic table coming in, some benches that are being donated and just get some pretty work done.
"We have had a lot of snacks, water and Gatorade donated. We are providing lunch, hot dogs with all the trimmings."
The dedication will be scheduled after everything is in place, she said.
"Our (fundraising) goal was $100,000," Mrs. Jones said. "This community and surrounding areas -- we have taken in $86,000. Isn't that awesome? If it happens good. If it doesn't, I am completely satisfied to get this playground in place for all of these kids who come out here to play baseball, T-ball, softball, soccer.
'They will have a place to come, and the local families can bring their kids here. We are going to have picnics tables. I just think it is gong to be a nice area. I am very excited about."
The town has donated a round concrete table and benches.
Once the walking trail is paved, the memorial and honorarium bricks will be placed on the South Third Street entrance.
"This entrance (East Trade Street), I going to check with everybody, but I am planning to make this a non-entrance," she said. "I am afraid a kid will dart out there. It is way busier than that (South Third Street entrance)."
For the moment no more orders are being taken for the bricks, but it could resume later on, she said.
Thus far 122 4-inch by 8-inch bricks and a dozen 12-inch by 12-inch bricks have been sold.
The larger ones will be engraved with a sponsor list.
Fundraising for the playground project started in January with a $100,000 goal.
Widespread community use of the park's athletic field prompted the project committee to take a Calypso and surrounding community at-large approach to fundraising.
Donations are still being accepted and should be sent to the Town of Calypso, P.O. Box 385, Calypso, N.C., 28325, attention Debbie Jones. Checks should be made payable to the Town of Calypso and earmarked for Albritton Park
CALYPSO -- The playground was built on a 19,000-square-foot area adjacent to the ball field at Albritton Recreation Park.
There are be two play areas -- one for ages 2 to 5 and the other for 6 to 12. They are separated by swings.
Playground equipment that had been located on the site was removed several years ago because years of use and neglect had left it unsafe for children to play on.
For more information, or to make a donation, call Mrs. Jones at 919-222-5445 or contact committee members, Suzanne Britt, Roy Cottle, Gail Herring, Sarah Nielsen, Kevin Schoolcraft and Kathy Thigpen.