The Chatham Rotary Club has donated $25,000 to Chatham-Kent (CK) for Chatham's first accessible swing.
The swing is set to be installed at Kingston Park, using $65,000 from the Hydro One Benefits Fund.
"It's a popular spot all year round and so having accessible options for people of all abilities is really, really important," said CK Councillor Alysson Storey. "I'm really happy to launch this project today and look forward to seeing the finished product."
She also took a moment to thank the Rotary Club for its donation and staff for all their hard work on this project.
The President of the Chatham Rotary Club, Donna Litwin-Makey, was at the announcement, presenting a $25,000 cheque.
"This accessible swing was just a great opportunity to work together and have a team to bring this to Chatham-Kent and to Kingston Park," said Litwin-Makey.
The swing itself will cost roughly $150,000, with the municipality hoping grants will help with the total cost.
"We're working with the interested parties to make sure that we get enough money for the entire project. We've also applied for a grant. So if we do get that and we have all the other funders in place, we should be right around the amount that we need for the project," said Director of Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Rob Pollock.
Since all the funding hasn't been secured, there is no set date for when the installation will take place. However, the park is not expected to close during the construction.
"We'll just have an isolated construction project in one area of the park, and it won't affect the rest of the park," Pollock explained.
According to Pollock, this project dates back to 2024 and is part of the Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Master Plan. He added that Kingston Park was chosen due to its size and popularity.
"It's one of our most in-demand and most-used parks in Chatham," Pollock continued. "So knowing that, but also working with the councillors that were involved and the interested parties, this one was a chosen place because it would attract the most amount of people."
Storey is hoping the new swing will be operational by the end of this year.
