Kiwanis Club Of Front Royal Virginia
P. O. Box 1151
Front Royal, VA 22630
(540) 622-2416

Meetings:
Weekly 6 PM - 7 PM
Bowling Green North
Front Royal, VA

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October 12, 1945

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The Capital District 19 Kiwanis Clubs Sponsor The Northwest Community Services PIE Project Playground by raising over $35,000

All-access for all kids
By Elizabeth Lochhead

Children of all abilities climb, balance, hang on for dear life, and play—together

When the Commonwealth of Virginia said it could not build playgrounds, Capitol District Division 19 Kiwanis clubs said they would.

"The Northern Shenandoah Community Services Center desperately needed a safe, fun, and effective outdoor playground for its 175 physically, emotionally, and mentally challenged toddlers through the age of three," says Front Royal, Virginia, Kiwanis club president Richard "Dick" Hoover. Playtime is critical for the youngsters to advance their therapy and learn to socialize—and have some good plain fun.

The plan began. The center's staff designed a state-of-the-art playground using Little Tykes Commercial Play Systems equipment. The plan included a wheelchair-friendly mulch surface, special ground tiles to cushion falls, and a wheelchair-to-equipment transfer station. To top it all off, a towering retractable screen was installed to protect the children whose medications interact negatively with sunlight.

Fund-raising was next. In addition to Front Royal, Kiwanis clubs of Clarke County, Berryville; Blue Ridge, Winchester; and Winchester pledged to raise nearly $37,000 through the usual activities: pancake days, drawings, collection cans, personal solicitations, and more. In-kind donations of labor, earth-moving machinery, materials, and expertise helped too. Local news media supported the effort, spotlighting the playground project with regular reports. Kiwanians and sponsored program members pitched in too by applying mulch, landscaping, and building a chain-link fence around the perimeter.

Thousands of service hours were spent completing the project. Now, the area squeals with the sound of children's laughter.

Summarizing, Dick states, "The physical, emotional, and educational benefits produced by this playground are wonderful and incalculable."

PIE Project Play Ground Completed In Front Royal.