ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 26, 1996 TAG: 9604260041
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PEMBROKE
SOURCE: CLAYTON BRADDOCK STAFF WRITER
Packed crowds stand in line for big-time movies and Broadway openers. But those are over in a night.
Crowds of Giles County children have waited in line for five months for a special drama - the county's new Treasure Island Playground. And they turned out in force for it Sunday.
That grand opening has been just a beginning with an overflow crowd - an average of 50 children and a large number of adults - coming to the structure every night since.
It will come in handy for fun and games because the only other playground in the county, Castle Rock Park, is in bad shape. Otherwise children had to find their fun in Blacksburg playgrounds.
"It's been a lot of hard work," said Sandra Jennings, chief coordinator of the playground. "The people turned out much more than expected. It has been a countywide community project."
The new playground, the first of its kind in Giles County, didn't come easy. Unless you count the $73,000 that county citizens gave in cash, materials and free labor.
The free labor came from everywhere. About 300 volunteers did all the work in a crash project over five consecutive days, finishing the job in time for the Sunday evening opener.
"People didn't know what to expect when they saw it the first day," said Lisa Epperly, volunteer coordinator.
"They were all amazed," said Sherri Davidson, another coordinator.
"There were students and parents from Pearisburg, Pembroke and Newport," Epperly said. "There were even a few cars from West Virginia."
The children of Giles County were asked last fall to tell architect John Dean what they wanted in a playground. What they saw Sunday was everything they could hope for: slides, glide rides, tunnels, benches, swings, drawbridges and towers that look down on the complex. The only thing not included in the new playground are water and other hazards.
All that's left to add are pickets, slender wooden strips to be placed around parts of the mostly wooden playground. The pickets will be placed as donations for them are given.
Between last fall and the grand opening, money and materials came from spaghetti raffles, muzzle-loader raffles, student penny drives and special appearances by Virginia Tech athletes, cheerleaders and the Hokie Bird.
"The penny drive alone brought in $5,000," Jennings said.
"It was a great experiences," said Davidson, "because we worked together, enjoyed community fellowship, and met new people."
Dean, an architect and partner in Leathers and Associates, specializes in playgrounds, teen centers and other such facilities. They've built more than 1,000 playgrounds across America and overseas, all involving volunteer construction labor.
The Ithaca, N.Y., firm also designed Blacksburg's Hand-in-Hand playground, a kindred project to Treasure Island Park, built in 1992 by community-generated donations and lots of helping hands.
Giles County residents were among the many workers who helped to build the Blacksburg park. Now they'll have less travel distance to their own.
Pulaski County citizens and the local YMCA are also working with Leathers and Associates to build a community park there, using a design that reflects the Blacksburg and Giles County facilities.
Staff writer Robert Freis contributed to this report
How to get there: Turn off U.S. 460 in Pembroke at the sign for the Castle Rock Recreation Area. Go straight until the road ends, ignoring the left turn to the recreation area. You'll see the playground to the right, next to the ballfield.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM/Staff. 1. Like a kid magnet,the newly completedby CNBTreasure Island Playground in Pembroke draws children wanting to
explore its many facets. 2. The expansive playground has everything
a kid could hope for: slides, glide rides, tunnels, benches, swings,
drawbridges and towers that look down on the complex.