WORLAND – The City of Worland and the Worland Kiwanis Club are working together to bring additional playground equipment to Kiwanis Park on 20th Street in Worland. The additional equipment will be for children ages birth to 5.

City of Worland Superintendent of Public Works Brian Burky stated that the city has already purchased $30,000 worth of equipment for the park and that everything has been delivered; the equipment, the border and fall surface. "We got some real neat items for smaller kids and hope to put it up this fall," Burky said.

Burky also stated that most of the current equipment will stay in the park, with the exception of anything deemed unsafe. When asked if he had an idea of what equipment might be removed, Burky stated that no decision has been made at this time. "Not yet, the merry go round, but I have been getting some push back on that,"Burky said. "We are going to keep everything there we can and the playground will be right there together so parents can watch their different age kids all at the same time," he added.

Current equipment already purchased:

- Dino Climber – for younger kids, 2 to 5 year olds. Good for group play and promotes cooperative play. Promotes core body strength, flexibility and problem solving. Ties in well with dinosaur theme of local museums and attractions.

- Cozy Dome – for 2 to 12 year olds. Acts as a quiet space or safe space for overstimulated kids or developmentally challenged kids. Promotes core strength, balance, and improved motor skills. 

- Infant Maze (small fort with tunnel) – for 6 to 23 months. Provides balance and encourages standing and learning to walk, promotes imaginative play. 

- Zip Kruz (50 feet) – for 5 to 12 year olds. Promotes upper body strength, improved motor skills, agility, and cooperation.

- Omni Spin – ADA accessible spinner ($7,000+ value) provided free to Kiwanis Club with a $40,000 project. Promotes core body strength, imaginative play, social skill development and inclusive play.

Worland Kiwanis President Lisa Beamer stated that the company where the equipment was purchased has a deal for people who purchase specific amounts of equipment. So the Kiwanis Club is fundraising $8,000 to purchase an additional piece of equipment, which will earn them a free piece of equipment valued at $8,000. "So we are expecting to get $16,000 essentially of more equipment coming," Beamer explained. "We want to come up with maybe three options for the extra equipment we want to buy, so we thought to have the town vote on what they would like to see most. So that will be coming as well," she added.

Thanks to a grant the Kiwanis Club received from the Kiwanis Regional Rocky Mountain District Foundation and other fundraising events, the club is about $3,000 short of their $8,000 goal. To raise the amount needed Kiwanis has created a Go Fund Me page on Facebook and will be selling raffle tickets for 10 bottles of wine.

Kiwanis member Fran Scranton and Beamer explained that Scranton had recently returned from visiting his new grand baby in Oregon and that Scranton's daughter had donated the 10 bottles of wine to help raise funds for the playground equipment.

When asked if the Kiwanis Club members could help set-up the equipment, Burky stated, "I have had volunteers the last two playgrounds we've done and it just went great. So we will have to figure that out."