Kiwanis, Redmond partner to raise park funds

Kiwanis Club of Redmond has established a trust account at Bank of the Cascades for contributions to the Sam Johnson Park improvement project on which it is partnering with the City of Redmond.

Kiwanis established the park in the late 1980s on land donated to the city by the Sam Johnson family. Irrigation, landscaping and playground equipment were completed in various phases, culminated by the picnic pavilion in 1996.

Today the playground facilities are some of the oldest in the city’s park system and need upgrading. Accessibility is another issue.

The phase one playground renovation will cost about $450,000, and other improvements to the park will bring the price tag to $1 million, according to Heather Richards, community development director for the city.

The city has budgeted $90,000 in the current budget. Other contributions include $25,000 from the Kiwanis Club of Redmond, $25,000 from St. Charles Health Systems, $25,000 from Bank of the Cascades, $7,500 from the S.S. Johnson Foundation and $1,000 from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Kiwanis and the city will apply for grants for additional funding.

Businesses, organizations or individuals wishing to contribute to the project can make tax deductible checks payable to the Redmond Kiwanis Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization, at P.O. Box 253, Redmond, Oregon 97756.