Pig roast to help fund play pods
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RONAN — Overindulging in delectable slices of roasted pork while swaying to music as golden leaves fall from the trees of Bockman Park and float down gurgling Spring Creek might not sound like the most straightforward way to help improve community health. But this Saturday’s festivities at the Pig in the Park event will help raise funds to help build an innovative playground intended to bring long-term health benefits to the community.
The event will begin at 1 p.m. and last until 4 p.m. Five dollars buys access to a plate, music performed by the Hot Flash Blues, games, and duck races.
Ronan Park Board and Friends of the Ronan Park are sponsoring the event, and will have new information available about progress being made toward installing culturally relevant play pods in the park.
“It’s a really fantastic educational idea,” park board president Tom McDonald said. “It’s a wonderful project that’s fully supported by the city council, health and fitness organizations (and others).”
The play pods, designed by Game Time, a Playcore company, will be large-scale reproductions of animals, living structures, and plant life that are iconic of local native culture. Signage and accompanying audio recorded from local schoolchildren in Salish, Kootenai and English are planned for the playground, which will include different pockets of equipment along the trail.
The spread-out design is meant to propel visitors forward and deeper into the park and keep children from becoming sedentary and bored. The design was first envisioned in 2010 by former director of parks and recreation Jennifer Rolfsness, who has spearheaded the project.
The play area will be the first of its kind, Robert Barron, GameTime senior vice-president of sales, told the park board this summer.
“This is going to grab national headlines,” he said.
It might also boost tourism.
“It’s going to be something you’ll see from the road and stop for,” Barron said.
Before the New York Times fires up the presses and wayward Highway 93 travelers can stop to see what all the fuss is about, funds have to be raised for the project.
Taking a bite of pork on Saturday is one step in a very long journey.
