Lebanon
A new type of run will premiere this Saturday in Lebanon. Called the “Toddler Trot,” it’s part of a fundraiser for new playground equipment at Colburn Park.
“Wouldn’t it be great to do something to get the kids involved and excited?” Delania Carlson recalled thinking when planning the fundraiser as part of the Lebanon Plays group. The race will take place inside Colburn Park, along the fence. There will be two heats: one for older kids and a second for “2-year-olds who are going to be helped by their parents.”
Prior to the race, the youngsters will be able to decorate race bibs. The event also includes other crafts and games. Dartmouth College football players will be on hand to play catch and area businesses have donated food and items to raffle. Admission is a suggested donation of $7. The event runs from 10 a.m. to noon.
Lebanon Plays was formed to add age-appropriate equipment for children 5 and under to playgrounds throughout the city. The idea sprung from the Safe Routes to Play survey, for which the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission had received a grant, said Meghan Butts, of Lebanon, assistant planner and GIS technician with the commission.
Through that survey, the commission learned that residents felt there weren’t enough playground options for children. The commission then applied for another grant to form the advocacy group Lebanon Plays, which is now an all-volunteer working group that is fundraising for new equipment.
The commission helped with the initial fundraising.
Lebanon Plays decided to turn its efforts to Colburn Park first “because of its high visibility” and “the number of families who use Colburn Park on any given day,” said Paul Coats, director of the Lebanon Parks and Recreation Department.
“They should be able to access every part of the playground and use it without an adult’s help,” said Carlson, who is a nanny for a 1-year-old and 3-year-old. The organization has selected two playhouses: one designed for children 2 and under and another designed for children up to age 5.
The playhouses will be added to the current playground. No playground equipment will be removed.
The goal is to raise $37,800 for the structures. So far, Lebanon Plays has raised about $7,000.
“We hope to finish all the fundraising during this calendar year … and then do an installation in the spring,” Coats said.
The toddler trot and playground party is the group’s first major fundraiser.
“We’ve been working to get both donations from families and small businesses and writing grants to foundations to get funds,” Carlson said. They’ve also had a booth set up at the Lebanon Farmers Market. “There’s a lot of excitement about it.”
Butts agreed.
“People really want a playground there,” she said, adding that it is in an accessible location. “It’s a great spot for the first playground of this initiative.”
Editor’s note: For more information about Lebanon Plays, visit www.facebook.com/LebPlays. Use the address 51 N. Park St., Lebanon, to get to Colburn Park. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
