SEQUIM — Given the pandemic and summer heat, outside recreation is good for everyone.
That’s what leaders at the Sequim unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula hope to provide as they put the finishing touches on a new playground at the Carroll C. Kendall Unit, 400 W. Fir St.
Mary Budke, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula, said plans for the playground have been in the works for about six months through the club’s Friends of the Carroll C. Kendall Unit.
“We’re really excited about it, especially in these COVID days,” she said.
Because of state health restrictions, the Sequim club has capacity for just a fraction of its regular attendance. Small groups of nine students and one club staffer stick together throughout the week to minimize any potential spread of the virus.
They’ve been maintaining 6 feet of distance inside and outside, with some respite play at the neighboring Helen Haller Elementary playground.
Budke said the new equipment was planned by Danielle Patterson of Allplay Systems of Sequim and club leaders to accommodate children of all ages and abilities.
Original plans to add a playground at the Sequim club date back to 2001 on the west side of the building, but funding always was an issue, club supporters say.
However, an anonymous donor gave $100,000, and George and Barbara Brown matched it, Budke said.
As fundraising continues for a new Port Angeles club facility, the Sequim playground has about $211,000 allocated with upward of $275,000 needed for amenities.
Those include the playground equipment, a soft surface below the structures, a basketball court, turf behind the court, security cameras, a fire pit area, seating and a fence to keep balls in the play area.
Club leaders aim to finish the project this summer, depending on COVID-19 restrictions.
“We’re eager for kids to get out there and play,” Budke said.
Installation began in mid-June after the equipment shipped from Germany. Lakeside Industries assisted with solidifying the play structures in place, and the soft surface is anticipated for installation in the next week for a tentative completion date in August, Budke said.
The fence will cover about three-quarters of the play area, and the club recently increased its Wi-Fi coverage so students can sit outside and work on homework.
The public is invited to do the same if they don’t have access at home, Budke said.
Donations are still needed for the playground. To support the project, call 360-683-8095 or visit www.bgc-op.org.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
