By Kathy L. Collins
This summer, children from all over the Brandon area will be able to enjoy a fun and wet experience at Rotary’s All Person’s Playground at Clayton Park in Brandon. A water feature will be added to the playground park thanks to the generosity of the community.
On Monday, November 26, the Rotary Club of FishHawk-Riverview, led by Christopher Jones, presented a check in the amount of $2,500 to John Sullivan. Sullivan, a past president of the Brandon ’86 Rotary Club, was a member of the original group that spearheaded the building of the park originally. He has kept the vision and hope of the addition of a water feature alive for 11 years.
Rotary’s All Person’s Park was originally built in 2001. Brandon ’86 Rotary Club led the public/private effort between local Rotary Clubs, the community and the Parks Department of Hillsborough County, to get the park built. The park was originally built so that children of all ages and abilities can have the chance to play alongside one another. Rotary’s All Person’s Park is a testament to what can be done when the community and state government work together.
The concept of adding a water feature to the park has been in the works for over a decade. Sullivan said, “This check is the last piece of the puzzle in getting this project finally completed.” The total cost of the water feature is $100,000. This money, like the original $450,000 that was needed to build the park, will be used to build the water feature and maintain it for five years.
The money donated by the Rotary Club of FishHawk-Riverview came from the club’s fundraising events including their Annual Crawfish Festival held each May. The club meets every Monday at 12 p.m. at the Beef O’Brady’s located at 4330 Bell Shoals Rd. in Valrico.
Sullivan said, “It will be nice to have this project completed for the kids of Brandon to enjoy.” The water feature will be flush with the ground so that all children of all abilities will be able to enjoy it.
Rotary’s All Person’s Playground at Clayton Park is located at 800 S. Parsons Ave. in Brandon. For more information please visit www.brandon86rotary.com and www.FishHawkRiverviewRotary.org.
