The Silver Beach Playground fundraising campaign has reached its goal.
Berrien County Parks Director Jill Adams tells us the deadline to contribute was this past weekend, and last-minute donations pushed the effort over its $1.25 million goal.
“There were a few people that donated over the weekend, and we had one donor who had a big interest in seeing the project come to full fruition,” Adams said. “Once we shared the amount that we had left, they — a husband and wife team — donated the remaining funds to get us to that point.”
Adams says this means the new playground at Silver Beach will feature all of the elements included in the plan. Had the goal not been met, then something would have taken out.
Construction has started on the new playground, and it’s expected to be finished by next summer. The new playground replaces a more than 30-year-old structure that has now been removed and given to the village of Eau Claire.
Adams says this new playground will include new surfacing, a zip line, shade, seating, a custom-built lifeguard tower, a surfboard play structure, more swings than the current playground, seven slides, and climbing and hanging structures. She thanked the community for coming out in support of the project over the past year.
