By: Mat Cloak
The Parsons Advocate
The playground next to the Thomas Community Center received an overdue facelift two weeks ago thanks to an anonymous donor.
The donor gave the Thomas Parks and Recreation Board money specifically for playground equipment in Thomas. They came to the board and asked, “We have some money, what can we do?”
After the site was chosen and the money was received, the process to install the new playground was efficient. “It actually went pretty quickly over a couple of months,” Thomas Parks and Recreation Board Member Chris Ujvagi said. After the donation was received, plans were finalized during the summer, and the equipment was installed on October 18.
The track and basketball court next to the new playground are recent additions as well. “Our donor saw that work has been done to kind of clean up this area,” Ujvagi said. “They wanted to help continue to keep this place going.” A soccer field and a pavilion are also available for use at the park.
The new playground has a slide, ladders, monkey bars, and a tic-tac-toe board amongst other entertaining features. The appealing green and beige design is a welcome upgrade from the previous equipment. Situated next to the soccer field and the pavilion, children can play on the equipment while families gather. Ujvagi urged families to, “Come enjoy it.”
The old playground was close to 50 years old and was described as “sketchy” by a number of residents. A hired contractor installed the new playground equipment.
Thomas residents showed up on the day of installation to help unload equipment and prepare the site. “I love the old playground, but it’s nice to see a safer playground for kids,” Thomas resident Patrick McCann said. “Anything new for kids to do in Thomas is exciting.”
Next on the to do list, the board wants to replace the roof and install new lights in the Thomas Community Center building located next door to the playground.
