CENTERBURG — Laughter, smiles, and community spirit were on full display Thursday as the Centerburg community celebrated the formal opening of Memorial Park‘s playground.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was the culmination of a multi-year community effort.
The Friends of Memorial Park Fund at Knox County Foundation raised more than $325,000. Hilliar Township and the Village of Centerburg also contributed.
“Beyond the financial support, this project also relied heavily on in-kind contributions from individuals and organizations who gave their time, expertise and resources to make this possible,” KCF Program Director Lisa Lloyd said.
“We’re incredibly grateful for these contributions.”
The idea for the playground originated from a conversation Kara Staats had with another mom.
With eight children between them, they wanted something safe and fun that was close by.
“We started getting ideas, contacted the company to design the playground for us and started raising money. We opened the account at Knox County Foundation,” she said.
The first fundraiser in 2019 raised $4,500. However, COVID-19 intervened in 2020, and things were put on hold.
“There were a lot of challenges and lots of turns and changes along the way, but one thing that never changed was the willingness and readiness of the committee to step up and do whatever it needed to to make sure that the project kept going forward.”
Kara Staats
Fast forward to the summer of 2022, when Staats was shopping. Someone asked, “hey, whatever happened to that playground?”
“That conversation was what pretty much restarted the whole thing,” she said.
“The best part is now this is here for the kids. It belongs to the community. I just hope that it’s here for many, many years and it just gets better.”
Simple conversations
Lloyd said the ribbon-cutting was extra special because it did not start with blueprints or funding.
It started with simple conversations.
The first conversation for Lloyd was in May 2021. It was a discussion with Sam Filkins of the Area Development Foundation and Hilliar Township trustees about park improvements.
“I remember walking this park with them, very pregnant at the time, talking about hopes and dreams for the park. To be standing here today with my 4 1/2-year-old daughter, who will get to play on this very playground, it’s really a full-circle moment for me,” she said.
However, the idea really took shape when Staats approached Lloyd in 2022.
“It’s not just a playground. It’s a place where kids will laugh and memories will be made for years to come. And for me personally, it’s a reminder of how far a simple conversation can go, even if it takes four-and-a-half years and a lot of patience to get there.”
Lisa Lloyd, Knox County Foundation/
A committee was formed, and with the help of Kinetic Recreation, Lloyd said the ideas turned into thoughtful designs. Those designs reflected a place where every child could feel included.
A “meaningful turning point” came when the Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities contributed $179,000 in ARPA funding.
“I just want to say thank you, not just for the generosity, but for helping to ensure that this is a place where every child belongs,” Lloyd said.
Originally planned to be near the baseball field, Lloyd said that as the vision expanded, “it became clear we needed a space that matched it, bringing us to this hilltop location.”
‘It didn’t happen by accident’
Knox DD Superintendent Steve Oster said that when one thinks of a playground, laughing kids, and fun experiences come to mind.
However, too often, playgrounds are barriers for children with disabilities.
“They can’t get on the playground. They can’t play on the playground, or the equipment’s way away from everybody else,” he said.
“This [playground] is very nice because it’s inclusive. One piece is right in the middle of the playground, so everybody has to be around kids that have disabilities, and they’re included in that.”
Oster said it also means that parents who utilize wheelchairs can get on the playground with their children.
“People don’t think about that often, but there are some parents who never get on the playground either; this is a chance for them to get on the playground,” he said.
“You’ll see this playground used in the middle of winter. When it’s snowing and it clears off, there will be people out here playing. You’ll be surprised that it will never be empty. There’ll always be somebody here.”
Steve Oster, superintendent knox DD
“Inclusion is important, access to playgrounds is important, and this is about building a community, a place where everyone is seen, everyone is valued, and everyone belongs. Today, this committee took a step to make that happen.
“To the kids who will play here, the space was built for you. You belong here, and we can’t wait to see the joys and the memories that you create.”
Oster said the meaningful part about the playground is that it did not happen by accident.
“It took vision, persistence, and collaboration,” he said, crediting Staats for a vision that never went away.
Truly a blessing
Tim Ellis of Centerburg Church of Christ oversaw the equipment installation and coordinated the volunteers.
Ellis said that as the committee encountered changes and obstacles, one of the neat things about being a part of it was seeing people step up.
Those people included more than 100 volunteers and Centerburg village workers; excavator, contractor, engineering, tree, media, trash, and trucking companies; and Del-Co water and the Central Ohio Joint Fire Department.
A plaque will be installed to acknowledge their contributions.
“Being a part of building this was truly a blessing for me and I think for everybody that got to be a part of this,” Ellis said. “It was such a blessing to be able to be a part of seeing the community come together.”
Centerburg Mayor Greg Myers said the village gladly supported the project. He related that on a warm day a month ago, while returning from Cleveland early in the morning, he crested the hill and saw the playground covered with kids.
“I pulled in down at the old state park and got out. I was going to walk up here, and all I could hear was kids screaming and laughing and having a blast,” he said. “So it’s a great success.”
State Rep. Beth Lear said she hoped the Ohio Legislature could “add icing to the cake” by approving funding from the state’s capital budget to build a bathroom near the playground.
The Centerburg Church of Christ served snow cones and hot dogs following the ceremony.
