Fundraiser underway to replace ‘well-loved’ but deteriorating Iona playground

IONA – Playground equipment at the Iona City Park is starting to wear out and the city is holding a fundraiser to replace it.

Rylea Farrens, a former City Council member, is spearheading the project as the lead for the Iona Playground Fundraising team. She tells EastIdahoNews.com the current playground was installed in 1997, and it’s starting to rust.

“Our playground’s plasticine coating is peeling off, and there’s entire sections that don’t have any coating on it,” Farrens says. “We have additional play structures where the coating is in the process of peeling.”

Farrens says the peeling poses a safety hazard in the summertime when the playground equipment gets hot. The bare metal can burn skin and melt shoes.

Although Iona’s population is 3,294 people, according to the latest census data, it gets visitors from communities and subdivisions outside city limits, like Berkley Park, Green Valley and Hatch Hollow.

Farrens says the park is “so loved,” and attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. The number of visitors makes it essential, she says, to replace the playground equipment.

In a community-wide survey last year, residents said the No. 1 thing they wanted tax dollars used for was updating the park. Lucky Dog Recreation in Boise provided options for new playground equipment and a cost estimate for installing it.

Farrens says residents were asked whether they wanted the equipment replaced or repaired, or a complete expansion of the park.

“Overwhelmingly, the results to the survey were that they wanted this specific playground,” says Farrens.

The playground, pictured below, has a farm theme that includes a white shade topper, multiple slides, bridges and climbing areas.

The cost of replacing and installing the current playground is about $224,000. Over the last year, the city has been working to raise funds. Farrens and her team have applied for grants, reached out to dozens of local businesses for sponsorships and are seeking community donations.

Elevate Academy, a charter school in Idaho Falls, has volunteered to help with the installation, which means $180,516 is needed to pay for the equipment. Farrens says the city has committed $50,000 for the project. So far, the fundraising team has earned $66,451 through private donations, according to a website for the project. Organizers are waiting to hear whether they’ve been approved for a grant.

“Our total we still need to raise is $120,000,” says Farrens.

The team is partnering with Elevate Academy for a spring fundraiser on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. It will be held at the school at 1873 Walton Avenue. There will be a silent auction, miniature golf, a live DJ and food provided by students at Elevate Academy.

“The students at Elevate Academy made a lot of our silent auction items. We have custom cutting boards and a children’s playhouse that’s being auctioned, a wooden American flag, and a lot of other fantastic things,” she says.

Farrens is encouraging people to come and support the cause. Tickets are required for admission, which are being sold until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, April 21. It’s $25 per person or $40 for couples. All the proceeds will go toward the new playground.

“When we write grants, we want to be able to show that the community wants this,” says Farrens. “We’re hoping that by having community support it will show the granters that the community is invested.”

To buy tickets or learn more, click here.