For the past four years, officials from Petal Excel By 5, the Petal Area Chamber of Commerce, the Petal Education Foundation and the Coleman Center for Families and Children have been working diligently to raise funds for EXCELebration Park, a playground for infants and toddlers at Hinton Park that would supplement the existing play areas for older children at that site.
They are now $25,000 closer to that goal, thanks to a recent donation from the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, in particular from District 3 Supervisor Burkett Ross. A check for that amount was presented by Ross – who used monies from his appropriation fund for the donation – during a June 22 news conference at the Coleman Center for Families and Children on West Central Avenue in Petal.
“There are more than 5,000 children that this could potentially (help) in our area, so it’s certainly a good use of our money,” Ross said. “The county tries to support our organizations that are making lives for our kids – and also our constituents – better.
“We always are trying to help them every way we can. We just hope that other people will get on board, so we can get this thing finished up and put those kids (on the playground).”
The playground is expected to cost anywhere from $390,000 to upwards of $400,000. So far, Petal Excel By 5 officials have raised approximately $85,000 from the Great American Duck Derby – an annual plastic duck race – which, when paired with the $25,000 donation, puts them at about $110,000 toward the project.
“This is big,” said Nadine Coleman, who is an Excel By 5 Coalition member and namesake of the Coleman Center. “That’ll put us well over $100,00 for sure, and we’ve got some more projects to look at, to generate some more funds (for the playground).”
The funds from supervisors were made available via the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion economic bill passed by the United States Congress to help speed up recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve been talking to (Excel By 5 officials) for a few months now, and whenever I had an opportunity to use some ARPA money, I decided I would help them with this developmental playground,” Ross said. “There’s so much research now going on about the developmental stages of children in early ages, that I felt like it was a good use of that money.”
Discussions for EXCELebration Park began in July of 2018, when officials from the aforementioned organizations met at the Coleman Center to discuss the matter. In May 2021, the Petal Board of Aldermen voted to adopt a Memorandum of Understanding with Petal Excel By 5 for the playground, which will be completed when the necessary funds are raised.
The playground equipment will be suitable for children from six months to five years old, including a Smart Play Nook that offers 28 different activities for children 6-23 months. The Nook is designed to prompt adult-child conversations regarding key developmental domains, including literacy, math, science, nature, social-emotional development, nutrition and physical activity.
The Nook is sized for crawlers and early walkers and includes a picket fence for children to hold onto, along with bright colors appealing to that age group.
The second key piece of equipment to be installed at the park is the Smart Play Loft, which is aimed at children two to five years old. It includes 20 interactive activities that address developmentally-appropriate skills, including a shapes panel, image panel, steps, alphabet panel, lower level clubhouse and crawl tunnel.
Also included at the playground will be three different types of swings – including one molded bucket seat, one infant swing and one ‘Family Friendship’ swing – along with soft, grass-style turf and foam flooring that resembles a stream running through the middle of the site. Children also will be able to play on a large-scale caterpillar that is suitable for climbing on or crawling under.
“When you think of a playground, you just think of swings and slides,” Coleman said. “But really, all the equipment there will be geared specifically for this age group, and it touches on all the developmental domains.
“I think we all recognized during COVID that we all need some safe places outside, where families can feel safe – and hopefully we’re past all that – but I hope it did help us to remember the importance of having common areas for families from all walks of life.
“A park is one of the few places left where you have people from all walks of life that congregate. We’ve been working on this for several years, and we’re not giving up.”
Any individuals or organizations interested in donating to the project are welcome to call Leahne Lightsey at (601) 545-3002.
