Submitted Article
A new one-of-a-kind playground is coming to Valley Playland in the fall of 2020! Athens Borough will receive a $212,500 grant through PA DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program to rebuild Valley Playland. The Friends of Valley Playland group hired Play By Design from Ithaca, NY, in 2015 to develop a new community build playground using durable materials for future generations to enjoy. The site plan is shown above. The existing playground, constructed in 1992, shown in the photograph below, is nearing the end of its useful life with many components unsafe for children to play on. The $212,500 grant is matched with over $100,000 in cash donations and nearly $200,000 of in-kind labor and materials. Volunteers will construct the project in the fall of 2020. Readers interested in helping with this community build project should contact Lori Unger via email at friendsofthevalleyplayland@gmail.com.
