The Troy Exchange Club has joined the City of Troy and Troy University in the efforts to build a new playground at the Troy Recreation Park that will be handicap accessible.

Dennis Griffith, Exchange Club member and member of the steering committee for the playground project, said the Exchange Club is excited and honored to be a part of the project.

“A focus of the Exchange Club is child abuse prevention and anything that we can do for children, we want to do,” Griffith said. “This project is one that is so important because the proposed playground for children ages five through 12 is one that children with special needs can enjoy with their peers. We want to do all that we can to see this project through.”

Griffith said KaBOOM! and its funding partner, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, are offering Let’s Play Playground Construction Grants of $15,000 to qualifying organizations.

“This grant would provide the seed money for the playground project. The project would have to be completed a year from the date the grant is awarded.”

Angel Carlson, a leader in the building of Troy’s Miracle Field and a member of the project steering committee, said the new playground will provide a safe play area for children with handicaps.

“The playground equipment will be constructed with the same type material as that at Murphree Park,” Carlson said. “The ground surface will be the same as that at the Miracle Field so a child in a wheelchair or with a walker will be able to have access to the playground. Children with special needs and those without can play together and that will make this playground a very special place for all children.”

The playground project also includes the expansion of the park area at the recreation center. The entire project would cost an estimated $150,000

Griffith said the playground/park project will not be a taxpayer-funded project.

“This project will be a labor of love,” he said. “It is a project for all our community and we believe that people will open their hearts and give to the project with the same enthusiasm that the steering committee has for it.

“With these additions to the Troy Recreation Park, we’ll have one of the best all-around parks in the state. We have the right people, the right place and it’s the right time to make it happen.”

A town hall meeting will be held to discuss the upcoming new park and playground for the City of Troy at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 12 at the Recreation Center. Everyone is invited to attend and hear about the plans for the new park. There will be opportunities for questions from the floor.