West Shore Parks and Recreation is competing against communities across Canada for a shot at $100,000, a grant that will help fund a new playground for kids of all abilities.
The rec centre has launched a fundraising campaign for the accessible playground, estimated at $244,000.
The project has been named a finalist in the Schneiders Country Naturals Picnic Anywhere Project contest, where the grand prize is $100,000.
As part of the contest, West Shore recreation needs to create a video explaining the project and post it on Facebook.
Playground projects in Mackenzie, B.C., one in Alberta and two in Ontario are also vying for the grant.
The video that earns the most votes on Facebook wins. It will be posted on the West Shore recreation Facebook page and website by Sept. 14.
“Our goal is to build an award-winning caliber playground,” Bobbi Neal, WSPR community development coordinator. “We want people to have a complete family experience when using the facilities.”
Called the Rotary Picnic playground, it is slated to be built near the Colwood Rotary picnic shelter on the lower portion of the rec centre near the baseball diamonds and the Paul Valentine basketball courts.
The playground equipment is still being finalized, but Neal said the idea of purchasing an elephant swing has become a big hit. The swings are large disks that hang on a rope.
“They are large enough for multiple kids to sit on it, or you can lay on it,” Neal said. “If someone is in a wheelchair they can be transferred onto the disk and lay down on it to get the sensation of swinging.”
Some other ideas include a spring seesaw and spinning bowls.
While there is already an assessable playground at West Shore recreation beside the kids cottage, Neal said there is still a need for another.
“The first Rotary playground is heavily used and we were approached by the community about the need for a second,” she said.
West Shore recreation has $87,500 to put toward the campaign, called “ Help us climb our way to a better play place.” The Rotary Club of Colwood is also actively fundraising and applying grants.
To vote for West Shore recreation’s video on Facebook see www.facebook.com/westshorerecreation or its website, www.westshorerecreation.ca.
reporter@goldstreamgazette.com