Photo Courtesy of Henry County Conservation
The first shovels were officially put in the dirt as the Henry County Conservation Department broke ground on Jared’s Park Playground located near Oakland Mills last week.
The estimated $394,000 playground is all-inclusive, allowing children of all mobility levels to play on its equipment. The playground will feature a loop slide, a wheelchair accessible glider, and niche capsules. It is named in memory of Jared Smith, who battled Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He is the son of Henry County Conservation Board President David Smith.
Henry County Conservation Office Manager Gloria Villanueva says the impact of the playground will be vast, “We’re really excited about this. There isn’t another inclusive playground in Henry County, so this is really important. It’ll be utilized by our school children that come out for field trips and day camps. Also, we have had visitors just in the past year from 28 different states and most of the counties in Iowa. It’ll get a lot of use, and we’re really excited to have something that more kids can play on because of the special equipment that it will have.”
Funding for the playground has come from companies, private donations, and other sources. In August, the project was a recipient of a $1,000 Alliant Energy Community Grant. Henry County Conservation has already made a down payment toward the playground, but still needs to raise around $150,000.
The playground equipment will be installed in November. The area aims to be ready for children next spring.