Kids looking for a bit of fun on their summer vacation have one more option this year, thanks to a new play structure that went up in Rotary Park over the July 17-18 weekend.

The structure, which came at a cost of $75,000, is just the first phase of a program to redo the entire park, according to Wayne Hall of the Rotary Club of Thompson. Hall explained that to raise funds for this project, the Rotary Club held socials, sold fudge, sought out any available grants, and “raffled off everything you could think of.” Fundraising efforts started in March 2009, and by March 2010 the group had surpassed the $75,000 necessary for this first phase.

Phase one also included horseshoe pits, which were installed on the July 24 weekend, and Hall notes that additional picnic tables and barbecue pits will also be added in the near future.

The reaction to the park thus far has been positive. “Kids love it,” said Hall, who mentioned that those aged 12 and under are particularly happy with the new structure. “Parents have been bringing children from all over the place.”

Grandparents, too – such was the case on the afternoon of July 21, when Albina Mello brought her grandkids, 10-year-old Makayla and eight-year-old Christopher, to the park for some fresh air and exercise. Mello said that she could see the park from her house, and that since the play structure had gone up, it had become significantly busier with children and families checking out the new feature.

Future plans for Rotary Park are equally ambitious. “We’re hoping to do a splash park and a multi-use area that can be used for badminton or whatever in the summer and then as a skating rink in the winter,” Hall said. He also explained that it’s difficult to pin down a specific timetable for any of this because “it all depends on how fast we can raise the money.” To that end, the Rotary Club is continuing to push forward with fundraisers, including a social later this year. “We’ll just keep going until we get the funds,” said Hall.

Rotary Park nearly came to an end in 2009, when the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Competition attempted to develop low-income townhouses in the area. When about 80 Deerwood neighbourhood residents complained to city council about the proposal, council became adamant that the park would remain in the Rotary Club’s hands.

At this, Hall noted that “we had our green space, we might as well do something with it,” and the process of developing it into a much more user-friendly park began. “We want to do things to encourage people to use the area,” Hall said, “I want to see it full all the time.”