The Evergreen Enchanted Playland in Kane has been re-stained, thanks to a group of volunteers and lots of hard work. The playground, which has stood for over 30 years, shows just how hard Kane residents will work for their community.
“The Evergreen Enchanted Playland stands as a testament to the vision of a community that thrives on rolling up sleeves and working together. In 1988, volunteers built a play space where imagination could run free in the heart of our Evergreen park. 31 years later, many of those same citizens teamed up with new generations of volunteers to stain the playground to preserve it for years to come,” said Kane Mayor Brandy Schimp. “Good things are happening here because we take pride in what we have, we work hard to preserve our past while planning for the future and we succeed through collaboration across the board. This project was completed by The Parks Commission, K.A.R.E., the borough, local businesses and volunteers working together.”
Originally scheduled for three days, Aug. 23 — 25, the project saw an influx of volunteers that completed the task in less time than expected. Community members — and a few dedicated visitors — of all ages got together to re-stain the playground and keep it looking great and ready to welcome visitors for years to come.
Katharine Johnson, a representative from Kane Area Revitalization Enterprise (K.A.R.E), explained the project was originally intended to be part of the annual K.A.R.E for Kane, held in May. The event usually involves projects like general litter pick up and revitalizing public spaces as needed.
“We always work with the Parks commission on projects, and this re-staining of the park became too much to take on for one day — and May weather isn’t the most reliable,” Johnson said. “We have been in talks with the Parks commission since then and finally planned this weekend work bee, capitalizing on the end of the summer/beginning of the school year and our community’s motivation to improve and keep up the parts of our town that make us special.
“We split the cost of the discounted stain from Kane Lumber and Fuel company — and K.A.R.E. worked to advertise, plan, and line up volunteers for this event. We had planned on a 3-day work bee, but with all of the volunteers that came out — we were able to complete the re-staining within 2 8-hour days. We had around 75 volunteers show up throughout the two days, which beat our expectations! We also received donations of pizzas for the volunteers’ lunch on Saturday from 5 local establishments — which is also indicative of the generosity of the Kane community.”
For Schimp, there is a strong family connection as well. Not only were her children part of the re-staining project at a park they regularly enjoy visiting, but they were continuing a tradition started when Schimp herself was a child.
“This park was my first glimpse into volunteerism. My mom, Darcy DiFazio, was the chair for the fundraising committee. I was 5 years old when she and my dad, along with countless other people, gave their time and talents into making this dream a reality,” Schimp explained. “I was fortunate to grow up enjoying a playground where my three young kids love to play today.
“It serves as a reminder that what you do today can have an impact on generations to come and it is one of the main reasons I ran for mayor. For me, it’s not just a playground… it’s a wooden park filled with life lessons and great memories. Memories that I’m very thankful for and memories I can now make with my children.”
DiFazio, when contacted by The Bradford Era, explained she was not available to help during the two days when the playground was re-stained, but she noted that seeing the photos and progress posted to Facebook brought back a lot of memories and the emotions she felt during the original construction.
“Working on the original project was definitely a labor of love. Having two small children of my own, I knew they would love playing there. It was a bonus that I got to meet and work with so many other people in Kane that were just as passionate about the project,” said DiFazio. “There were a lot of friendships forged over that year and a half of planning.
“(I’m) not sure if I ever thought the playground would still be around 30 years later for my grandchildren to enjoy, but I’m sure glad it is. It was a wish and a dream, but for it to become a reality is really a testament to the hundreds of people who played there and continued to care for it over the years. I would definitely recommend a project like this for any community.”
While the playground is now in prime shape for little visitors, the quest to continue breathing new life into Kane continues.
“We are hoping that with our annual event and some more workbees to continue our efforts throughout the year, we will continue to gain more support from volunteers,” Johnson said. “Earlier this year, K.A.R.E received matching funds from the Department of Community and Economic Development to formulate a comprehensive plan for revitalizing and beautifying the Eastern Gateway into Kane. The planning area includes the neighborhood to the North of Biddle Street (Route 6) starting with Lincoln Street, continuing through Clay Street and Janeway Street to Hacker Street. Y Street, on the Southern side of Route 6 will also be included in this plan.
“Our goal in developing this plan is to eventually implement a Neighborhood Partnership Program (N.P.P.), working with local businesses to secure tax deductible funding to bring this plan to fruition.”
Johnson explained the process for this effort will include working with an engineering firm experienced in such efforts and with the community to create “a more attractive, secure feeling neighborhood for current residents, prospective residents, and travelers spending time in Kane.”
Johnson noted this plan will start off small, with hope to build momentum toward the bigger goals.
“We are hoping to start off small with rehabilitation projects that can be completed in a few hours by local volunteers to spark interest in the neighborhood and show that even small acts can affect change,” she said.
