Redmond to break ground on Sam Johnson Park renovation
Three long years of planning and fundraising will be rewarded on Friday, Feb. 13, when the Kiwanis Club of Redmond and the City of Redmond break ground for the renovation of the playground at Sam Johnson Park. in Redmond’s Dry Canyon.
Ceremonies will be part of the weekly coffee clatter sponsored by the Redmond Chamber of Commerce to increase the attendance. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. The public is invited.
Dignitaries from Kiwanis International, including KI President Dr. John Button from Ontario, Canada, and city officials will also join in the ceremony. This will be Dr. Button’s first of 10 stops on an international tour celebrating the 100 th anniversary of Kiwanis International.
Besides major contributions from the Redmond Kiwanis Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Redmond, the Kiwanis International Foundation and the Pacific Northwesat Kiwanis Foundation contributed to the $750,000 project, the city approximately $200,000.
Gary Ollerenshaw has chaired the effort for Kiwanis, and Heather Richards, community development director for the city, has spearheaded grant applications.
The playground in the city’s largest park will be 100 percent accessible and inclusive for people of all abilities.
The city will provide a heated tent and refreshments for attendees’ comfort at the ground breaking.
Kiwanis established and developed Sam Johnson Park in the late 1980s on land donated to the city by the Johnson Family. Sam Johnson was a charter member of the Kiwanis Club in 1937.
