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Pig in the Park fundraiser raises money for play pods

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RONAN – Ronan parkgoers will have a chance to pig out this weekend for a cause that could ultimately lead to slimmer waistlines in Ronan parents and children. 

Roasted pork and all the trimmings will be available Saturday, Oct. 24 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. for a $5 donation that benefits the Woodlands Play Project being spearheaded by the Ronan Park Board. The project aims to bring a culturally relevant, interactive, and innovative playground unlike any other in the United States to Bockman Park. 

Games and musician Halliday Quist will be on hand to provide entertainment. 

“It’s always a joy to listen to her,” volunteer Ronna Walchuk said. “She plays her own original songs. It’s great.” 

Walchuk volunteered at the first Pig in the Park event last year, with Eleanor Vizcarra, a board member for the nonprofit Friends of Ronan Parks and Trails that is supportive of the project. 

Vizcarra said she believes the innovative play project will be a major benefit to Ronan. The project will consist of playground “pods,” or groups of equipment that have interactive signage in Salish, Kootenai, and English that will direct people to other pods throughout the park. The pods themselves will be configured so that they are jungle gyms disguised as local animals and symbols of local heritage. The visionary idea first emerged in 2010 and is a product of former Ronan Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Rolfsness and playground company Gametime. It will be the first culturally relevant playground the company has built. 

“They picked our little town out of the whole United States,” Vizcarra said. 

She is hopeful it will help keep people in the valley fit. 

“It will make a difference for families to be able to exercise and be healthy,” Vizcarra said. “I love that it’s not just a playground set. It’s science based stuff that you’ll have to read about an animal or about the valley.” 

She encouraged people to come see what the project is about at the Pig in the Park event. 

“Socialize. Come and eat,” Vizcarra said. “Come learn a little more about this amazing park in our town.” 

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