A local service club has 22 days left to meet its $5,000 goal during the month of April as it continues with the final phase of its all-inclusive playground at Kiwanis Bacon Memorial Park.
Phase I of the play equipment was installed in August and to raise funds for Phase 2 club members are "beggin for your bacon" through an online fundraising drive.
"We are now fundraising to finish our mission with the addition of phase 2 equipment and surfacing," said Kiwanis Club member Reesie Thomas. "Phase 2 will connect with Phase 1 and will feature four (to) five separate stations of play including, a rocking ship with wheelchair access, inclusive swings, an up-to-date merry-go-round that has room for 10 and has accessible seats at wheelchair height and a seesaw with built in seating and a slip-resistant central platform."
Phase 2, she said, also will feature fully accessible poured-in-place surfacing.
"This type of surfacing allows children of all abilities to get to the equipment and provide a safe surface for those inevitable falls," said Thomas, who indicated the surfacing is made out of scrap tires, which were discarded specifically in Missouri.
According to Thomas, the Kiwanis Club's mission statement is: "To serve our community and the youth of our community by creating opportunities for children to be curious, safe and healthy regardless of the community in which they live.
"We strive to give children the chance to learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed and thrive."
Thomas said the installation of the inclusive play equipment at Bacon Park, including the poured-in-place surfacing, supports that mission by allowing children of all ages and abilities to learn to play together.
The $5,000 goal set for April reportedly will pay for at least one piece of equipment.
The club's initiative through the crowdfunding platform, Cause Momentum, is in partnership with the Ozark Foothills Regional Community Foundation, said Kiwanis Club member Felicity Ray.
"They can donate a dollar or $5,000," Ray said.
Anyone wanting to donate can go to https://causemomentum.org/projects/beggin-for-bacon.
To encourage safe play, the Kiwanis Club also is hosting a special event, Play it Safe!, on Friday, April 27, in observance of National Playground Safety Week (April 23-27).
"It's the first time we've celebrated it at Bacon Park," said Ray. "We encourage kids to come out and play safely."
Thomas agreed.
"We haven't celebrated this week previously because we just heard about it this year," Thomas said. "We are partnering with Health Media Literacy, who heard about our mission to provide inclusive play equipment in Bacon Park, and they naturally thought of us when they decided to celebrate playground safety."
The event will begin, weather permitting, at about 3:30 p.m. or after school, Thomas said.
"Children of all ages are welcome," Thomas said. "We will have some snack foods and hotdogs available, and we hope to have various stations of play and/or safety to engage the kids.
"Of course, the park itself will be a station."
Around dusk, Thomas said, the club will offer "Movies in the Park."
The movie has yet to be determined.