Lions Park officially open for play
Published 1:38 am Monday, August 26, 2019
Members of the Lions Club, Farmville Town Council, and the Farmville Police Department took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony. (Photo by Crystal Vandegrift)
Pictured seated are Patti Varner, right, and Janet Varner Conboy enjoying a bench that was donated in memory of Lions Club member John Varner by Betty and Tom McBride. Back row, from left, Rusty Breeden, Ed Bailey, Rusty Conboy. Betty McBride and Tom McBride. (Photo by Crystal Vandegrift)
Pictured are, from left, Lion Club members Taylor Cole, Chris Bolt and Steven Lindsey preparing to cook hotdogs. (Photo by Crystal Vandegrift)
Grant Womack, left, shakes the hand of McGruff the Crime Dog. (Photo by Crystal Vandegrift)
Henrietta Mergen plays on the new playground. (Photo by Crystal Vandegrift)
A crowd gathered Saturday, Aug. 17, for the dedication ceremony of Farmville’s newest playground — Lions Park.
(To view a gallery of photos from the dedication ceremony, click here.)
After four years in the making, the Farmville Lions Club in partnership with the Town of Farmville has completed a new playground park at Wilck’s Lake.
According to former Lions Club President, Greg Cole who also represents Ward A on the Farmville Town Council, the club first began discussing the possibility of a playground project in 2015.
In 2017, the organization made the decision to create a new playground and began working toward that goal.
Cole told the crowd during the dedication ceremony that in 2018, the club applied for a matching grant from the Lions of Virginia Foundation. Having raised $32,500, a matching grant was awarded.
In the fall of 2018, the Farmville Lions Club gave $65,000 to the town to purchase the needed playground equipment.
During Saturday’s ceremony, those who attended were treated to a hot dog lunch provided and cooked by members of the Lions Club.
The event also had representatives from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fishes, Virginia Department of Health, the Farmville Police Department, Benchmark Community Bank and more who set up exhibits to educate visitors on a variety of services.
