The Campbelltown Community Park playground, which was built by volunteers organized by the Campbelltown Community Alliance in late October, got its official kickoff May 30 with a dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting.
The late afternoon dedication event officially opened the handicapped-accessible playground at 129 Lawn Road, Palmyra, which features a “cozy cocoon” for children with noise sensitivity, slides, a zip line, swings for children ages 2 to 5, larger swings for children ages 6 to 10, a music area with a built-in xylophone, and more.
CCA’s goal is to make the village a caring, walkable community, members say, and they are working to revitalize Campbelltown. Previous alliance projects include raising funds for evergreen trees, a pavilion and picnic tables in the park.
“It feels so good to know that the playground not only turned out amazing, but that it is also being used and enjoyed by the community almost every day,” alliance president Jen Bushta told LebTown. “We have even seen kiddos playing down there in the winter on really cold days. That’s enough to warm our hearts and know that what we did was truly worth it.”
The playground and park are open year-round from dawn to dusk.
Bushta said the playground was funded in part through a Marcellus Shale grant for $25,000, awarded by the Lebanon County Commissioners, which had to be matched with $25,000 from the community. South Londonderry Township also received a Local Shares Account grant, of which $70,616.00 was used for the playground, she said.
The total amount raised, $120,616.00, allowed the CCA to do the entire playground in one phase, Bushta explained.
More than 80 people showed up on Oct. 28 to build the playground. Bushta said the alliance put in about 200 hours for planning and preparation, including “lots of meetings,” five fundraisers, emails, phone calls, and Facebook posts. Volunteers on Oct. 28 each donated around eight hours of their time to get it built it in one day, she added.
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The project was spearheaded by CCA board members Laura Speece and Karla Trout, Bushta said. It came together with the help of the other CCA board members Stefanie Fogg, Jamie Miller, Ralph Duquette, Josie Ames, and Bushta herself, CCA members Ruth Barley, Chris Albright, and Tom Peiffer, plus Faith Bucks, John Eberly and the maintenance crew from South Londonderry Township, Rick and Angela Knaer and the employees at KK Lawn and Landscape, Brian and Maria Boltz from Stuff’d Steaks, several members of the community at large, and some members of the Iron Valley Soccer League.
“We are always looking for more members and volunteers,” Bushta said. Anyone interested in getting involved with the CCA can email the group at campbelltowncommunityalliance@gmail.com.
“Our goal is to help revitalize the Village of Campbelltown through beautification and recreation,” she said. “We hope to put more amenities in the Campbelltown Community Park and to add more beautification downtown as well. Stay tuned, because there’s more to come!”
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