King County announces Redmond Elementary playground grand opening celebration

2005 Archived News

Students from Redmond Elementary will officially hop, skip and climb aboard its new playground on Friday, June 17 at 2 p.m. at Redmond Elementary School located at 16600 NE 80th Street in Redmond with a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the new facility and recognize the efforts of parents, students, volunteers, and funding agencies.

"We are pleased to provide part of the funding towards the purchase of safe quality play equipment for the enjoyment of our community's youngsters, " said Butch Lovelace, program manager for King County's Parks and Recreation Division.

Funding for the playground has come from Lake Washington School District, the Redmond Elementary PTSA, the City of Redmond and a $14,000 Youth Sports Facility Grant (YSFG) award given by the King County Parks and Recreation Division.

To qualify for a grant, applicants must meet a two-to-one matching requirement. The program has awarded more than $7 million in grants and contributed to nearly 200 new or renovated athletic facilities since 1993. The YSFG program is a model for capital planning and development through partnerships, a major component of the Park Division's business plan.

King County Parks is accepting YSFG applications until June 24, 2005. To download an application, go to http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/ysports/ysports.htm. If you would like additional information, please contact Butch Lovelace, program manager at 206-263-6267 or e-mail at butch.lovelace@kingcounty.gov.

King County manages 25,389 acres of parks, pools, open space, natural land and trails. This includes 68 baseball fields, 61 soccer fields, four pools, 88 picnic areas, 34 playgrounds, 27 tennis courts, 13 boat launch sites, more than 175 miles of trails, six fishing piers, four community gardens, a climbing rock, the area's best off leash dog park and the world class Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.