State awards recognize two Sioux City groups
By Lynn Zerschling Journal staff writer | Posted: Thursday, April 10, 2008
SIOUX CITY -- Two local groups received state awards for improvements they have made to city parks and trails.
The Iowa Parks and Recreation Association gave its Lay Organization Awards to the Siouxland Trails Foundation and to the Boundless Playground Committee.
The awards were presented April 1 during the state convention in Council Bluffs, Terry Hoffman, city parks and recreation manager, announced Wednesday.
"The trails foundation has been a leading advocate for trail improvement, safety, education and maintenance in our area," Hoffman said. "This all-volunteer nonprofit corporation has been the catalyst for several important projects."
Those include developing its second area trails map, paying for a rotary broom to help with trail maintenance, sponsoring an annual trails ride and raising more than $150,000 in private funds to pay for the Big Sioux River Trail Bridge Project.
Hoffman credited the playground committee for "the idea to build a playground that would serve our community's most innocent and vulnerable citizens."
On Oct. 16, community leaders and city officials dedicated the Boundless Playground at Leif Erikson Park, at 1100 31st St., The barrier-free park provides a play area for children with both physical and cognitive disabilities.
The committee raised $160,000 in private funds to help pay for the $180,000 project, which is the only one of its kind in Iowa. The rest of the money was made through in-kind services from the city and Audino Construction Co., the general contractor.
Stephanie Reinsch-Hahne, president and CEO of the nonprofit Opportunities Unlimited, the sponsoring organization, thanked the City Council and Siouxland Chamber of Commerce for backing the project.
"It's amazing when you see the absolute joy on the faces of children as they advance from one level to the next and say, 'Mom, I've never been able to do this before!' This all came out of the vision of one mother who opened a box and read information about the Boundless Playground and said, "We need that here.'"
She was referring to Kristan Geary of Sioux City who proposed the idea to her boss, Reinsch-Hahne, and then to the council.
"As a community, we are fortunate to have these organizations," Hoffman stated.
The Iowa Parks and Recreation Association gave its Lay Organization Awards to the Siouxland Trails Foundation and to the Boundless Playground Committee.
The awards were presented April 1 during the state convention in Council Bluffs, Terry Hoffman, city parks and recreation manager, announced Wednesday.
"The trails foundation has been a leading advocate for trail improvement, safety, education and maintenance in our area," Hoffman said. "This all-volunteer nonprofit corporation has been the catalyst for several important projects."
Those include developing its second area trails map, paying for a rotary broom to help with trail maintenance, sponsoring an annual trails ride and raising more than $150,000 in private funds to pay for the Big Sioux River Trail Bridge Project.
Hoffman credited the playground committee for "the idea to build a playground that would serve our community's most innocent and vulnerable citizens."
On Oct. 16, community leaders and city officials dedicated the Boundless Playground at Leif Erikson Park, at 1100 31st St., The barrier-free park provides a play area for children with both physical and cognitive disabilities.
The committee raised $160,000 in private funds to help pay for the $180,000 project, which is the only one of its kind in Iowa. The rest of the money was made through in-kind services from the city and Audino Construction Co., the general contractor.
Stephanie Reinsch-Hahne, president and CEO of the nonprofit Opportunities Unlimited, the sponsoring organization, thanked the City Council and Siouxland Chamber of Commerce for backing the project.
"It's amazing when you see the absolute joy on the faces of children as they advance from one level to the next and say, 'Mom, I've never been able to do this before!' This all came out of the vision of one mother who opened a box and read information about the Boundless Playground and said, "We need that here.'"
She was referring to Kristan Geary of Sioux City who proposed the idea to her boss, Reinsch-Hahne, and then to the council.
"As a community, we are fortunate to have these organizations," Hoffman stated.
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