New and improved playground coming to McCowin Park thanks to $125K donation
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AMMON — A new playground is coming to McCowin Park in Ammon, thanks to a $125,000 donation from Lookout Credit Union.
The credit union presented an oversized check to city leaders Thursday afternoon during a ceremony at the park, which featured children and families from the community.
A continuing partnership
Ammon Mayor Brian Powell said the city has been working closely with Lookout Credit Union for several months to find a meaningful way to invest in the community.
“Some playground equipment here at McCowin Park is very outdated, very old,” Powell said. “It needed to be replaced, and their generous contribution of $125,000 is going to go a long way in replacing all of this equipment and expanding our playground area.”
Powell said McCowin is likely the most used park in the city, and its equipment is 34 years old. As a result, it became the first stop in the city’s improvement plan to update aging playgrounds.
Randall Miller, Ammon’s recreation director, said parts of the current playground have already been removed because they were broken.
“It’s worn out and has some busted pieces, and we’ve had to remove several slides and tubes and features from it,” Miller said. “It’s just time for a new playground.”
Newer, bigger, better
The new playground will feature separate play structures designed specifically for older kids and younger kids, with a variety of rope-based climbing elements connecting the spaces in between. The finished project will be a major expansion of the playground’s footprint.
The design also features six swings, including an ADA wheelchair-accessible swing and a unique parent-and-child swing that allows adults and children to sit face-to-face together.
“We really wanted to put some focus in our parks and (recreation) as part of our capital improvement plan as we go through and systematically replace our equipment,” Powell said. “This was the first stop, and with the partnership with Lookout Credit Union, we’re able to make it happen fairly quick.”
The city hopes more partnerships like this will happen in the future.
“It’s so great to see other businesses want to be a part of the community,” Powell said. “It really helps the city progress further, faster with our capital improvement plans when everybody contributes.”
Supporting the local community
BJ Fillingame, vice president of marketing at Lookout Credit Union, said the partnership made sense because of the credit union’s long relationship with the city. The credit union has worked with Ammon on community events like the Icy Inferno bonfire and Ammon Days for the past five years.
When the playground idea came up, Fillingame said it was an easy decision.
“That’s kind of why we exist in the community as a credit union: to give back and make a difference and fill those gaps,” he said.
Fillingame agrees that the old playground no longer meets the families’ needs, and he’s excited to help.
“If it takes us to step up and (pay to renovate it), then we’re happy to do that, because that aligns with our mission,” he said. “Our job is to build communities and make communities safe and a good place.”
The project is scheduled to be completed by May, just in time for summer.