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Hi There,
My name is Jared Birchmore and I am a resident of Plainfield, Vermont. My partner, Jake McBride, has served on the Plainfield Recreation and Public Arts Committee for the past three years and for a few of those years we were lucky enough to live right next door to the amazing public resource that is our town recreation field!
The Recreation Committee is a small, volunteer-run committee that is under-resourced and has a lot on their plate right now. Our Rec field, like our town, has been impacted by two years in a row of flooding that completely decimated the skatepark, badly damaged the basketball court, and severely compromised the safety of our electrical system. The flood also damaged a water line that ran across the baseball and soccer fields and it had to be completely dug up and redone. The beautiful spot down by the river was washed away and covered in dangerous debris.
The Recreation Committee has worked hard alongside members of the town government, the water department, the roads department and countless volunteers to clean the park up and get it to where it is now - usable, but not up to code or our town standards.
Due to the extreme damage the storm caused to the village and rural areas of our town, the municipal budget and bandwidth is stretched very thin and many recreation field needs are unable to be met! That's where we (Plainfield citizens) come in! If every one of our 1,200 citizens gave $25, we could raise $30,000 to restore our Recreation Field to its former glory. Times are tough right now and many of us cannot spare $25, but even $5 will help! And some can give more than $25 - we are confident that we can reach our goal if we all pitch in by donating and/or sharing this fundraiser. Let's give all citizens and visitors of Plainfield, children and adults, a beautiful, safe, accessible place to gather and recreate.
Every last cent that is raised through this fundraiser will go directly to the needs of the Plainfield Recreation Field. Here are some current needs and proposed updates.
- $12,000 of updates to fix damaged and outdated electrical system. This includes updated wiring to replace the wiring that is hanging off the poles and isn't fully functional as well as relocating nonfunctioning plugs and switches that took on water during the floods. This estimate also includes replacing the outdated and broken lighting fixtures above the tennis and basketball courts and soccer field.
- An ADA-approved paved path so people of all abilities who use wheelchairs or walkers can reach the pavilion and playground. The path will also make it easier for young kids on trikes/bikes and people pushing strollers to access all parts of the park.
- A water fountain so people and pets can have access to fresh, safe drinking water on site. The fountain has been purchased - these funds would go towards installation.
- Replace the bottom portion of the tall slide that has a metal bolt sticking up through it.
- A new skatepark that is flood-resistant.
Recent Updates: Even on a tight budget and with many challenges, the Recreation Committee and a multitude of town volunteers have managed to do the following at the Rec Field.
- Spread a new, deeper layer of woodchips around the play structures to prevent injuries
- Cleaned up the flood debris on the beach
- Cleaned up the flood debris and damaged structures on the skate park
- Cleaned the flood-deposited silt off of the basketball court
- Created a new scheduling system for the pavilion
- Installed a new shelf along the side of the pavilion
- Maintained the baseball diamond
- Cleaned and repaired the town sheds that house recreation equipment
- Bought and assembled new soccer nets for the public to use
- Repaired the cracking surface of the tennis court
- Replaced the gate collars on the tennis court gates
- Maintained dog waste bins as well as trash and recycling cans
- Installed new basketball backboards and hoops to replace the old broken ones
- Added an orange "Borrow Bin" by the front gate full of toys to be used by everyone
Imagine what could be done with more funding!
Even with the flood damage, for the past two years, our Recreation Field has continued to host...
- A Pickleball league that meets twice a week in the summer
- A youth Tee-ball league
- An adult Softball league
- A pickup soccer group that meets weekly
- Two Arts festivals
- The Old Home Days festival
- Singing gatherings
- Musical and Theatrical performances
- Gatherings under the pavilion including Memorials, Birthday parties, Graduation parties, and pumpkin carvings
- Individuals of all ages who use the playground, swings, sandbox, skatepark, basketball court, tennis courts, beach, and walk their dogs
Please donate and share! Thanks for reading!
Organizer
