ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605060109
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Guest Column
DATELINE: PEMBROKE
SOURCE: ROLAND HARRISON
On Sunday night, April 21, many folks in Pembroke and Giles County witnessed an extraordinary event. The opening of Treasure Island Playground in Pembroke was a feat to behold.
Wednesday morning [April 17] there was just a grass-covered field. In the dusk of a Sunday evening sunset, a group of eager youngsters cut a paper chain, thus opening a fantastic sculpture of wood to all children. There were cheers, laughter and tears from the very young to the elderly. This was the culmination of long, hard work by many Giles people who gave themselves to a dream of one small group.
One night in March 1995, a small band of Pembrokeites met to brainstorm how to improve their community. They wondered what it would take for Pembroke to have a playground like that of Blacksburg. Lisa Epperly contacted Leathers & Associates, the company that designed it, to find out. With that information, this small band began to talk to people. Before long, a dream was born. It grew and spread like a dry autumn wildfire. The dream was enthusiastically sold throughout the community to finance what had now become an organized effort. Thankfully, many individuals, organizations and businesses opened their hearts and purses to raise the necessary funds. The children of Eastern Elementary School formed a Playground Committee to raise money and help in the planning.
Children in all three county elementary schools raised thousands of dollars.
All of the efforts from the very young to the very old are too vast to list. It took more than just money. There was so very much to be done and organized: skilled craftsmen and workers recruited, tools loaned, materials donated, food to feed the workers, people to prepare and serve the food.
It all happened. At dawn Wednesday, construction began. The next five days were filled with chaos orchestrated and choreographed by Lee and Jeff from Leathers & Associates. The sounds of work were music in the air. The sight of so many men, women and children all working side-by-side toward a common goal was overwhelming in itself. From dawn past dusk and into each night, hundreds toiled. Out of this controlled chaos something was born. Tenderly nourished with blood, sweat, and tears, there grew a living structure of love.
These five short days produced much more than a stupendous playground. It forged a bond among neighbors. It brought them together in the true spirit of community to create a functional monument dedicated to the future: our children.
Special thanks go to the torchbearers who made this dream into reality: Sandy Jennings, the binding force from start to finish; Eddie Kendall, a driving force for all his hard work and determination; Randi Lemmon who brought endless administrative and organizational skills. There are so many others who contributed. Let's not soon forget what we accomplished. A dream sprung from those hills and turned into a reality. Let this be the start of bigger things to come. Giles County is a forest of dreams!
LENGTH: Medium: 59 linesby CNB