A $30,000 Clinton County Legacy Fund grant awarded to the Friends of Clarksville group will go toward the organization’s community park project in the center of Clarksville.
“Being located next to the Clarksville UMC [church] and pavilion makes this a great place to utilize for events. We are amazed at the support from individuals, community and organizations that have helped to reach this goal. We have been blessed with two substantial grants from HealthFirst for Clinton County and [now] the Clinton County Legacy Fund,” said Kathy Rager with the Friends of Clarksville.
“We are so happy for Clarksville and want to thank everyone who has made this possible,” Rager added.
Wanting to help build the future of Clarksville, the Friends of Clarksville group has been organized as a 501(c)(3) for a little over a year. Its mission statement is “Building Community, Restoring Hope and Growing our Future”.
A dream to build a park definitely fits the bill to fulfill the mission, said Rager.
She said, “We believe that with a public place for people to meet, relationships will be formed and this will bring people together who can fulfill each other’s needs, like providing a ride to the doctor, maybe help with a meal or just someone to listen.”
Rager continued, “Studies prove that parks build up community physically, mentally and economically. So it is super exciting to see that this is coming to Clarksville in the very near future.”
Children ages 2 to 12 will have multi-activity play spaces to run, swing, slide, hop, balance and explore. Plans call for them to be safely surrounded by aluminum bronze-colored fencing.
Benches will be placed around the park for parents.
“A Little Library is being donated for those who want to just relax and read a book under one of the beautiful trees that are on the property. Or maybe, read a story to their little ones,” said Rager.
The fence will be surrounded by Ohio native foliage. The hope is that this will attract butterfly and pollinator enthusiasts.
The Friends group includes members who are Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists who intend to offer educational programs. Ohio native foliage will be important for this, Rager noted.
“A garden club has formed in the last two months, and is working to bring this garden to life. We are hoping that there are many programs that will form and be available to the community,” she said.
The HealthFirst of Clinton County grant, announced last winter, is for $15,000. A June 2020 News Journal article on the park project indicates the park will be built in phases as funding becomes available.
The Friends of Clarksville is one of nine recipients in the first cycle of grants awarded by the Legacy Fund Committee. The Legacy Fund consists of money the county obtained from selling county-owned Clinton Memorial Hospital.
