Reflections on bird flu case
Building permit values fall
Starvation inquest opens
$535K in medal bonuses
Canada settles class-action
Both countries benefit
'Year of the Family'
Climate change suits build
Melania packed and ready 
Rocket launch scrubbed
Dazzling Ice Castles a draw 
Rules on exporting AI chips 
Warriors streak reaches 3
Vipers affected by changes
Rockets fall to Giants
Joshua Jackson loses home
Spelling flees wildfires
'Soul man' Sam Moore dies
Penticton will soon get its first “natural playground,” an imaginative playspace to be developed at Skaha Lake aimed at helping children get connected to nature.
Discovery Park at Skaha Lake is the South Okanagan Children’s Charity’s seventh Miracle Fund project.
The park, announced on Earth Day, will be a custom-built accessible playground made primarily from natural
resources.
“Connecting with nature is so important to the health and development of our children; and it is this philosophy that has served as the inspiration for the design and creation of Discovery Park,” says Deborah O’Mara, president of the South Okanagan Children’s Charity. “The movement to incorporate natural play spaces is growing in popularity and they have started to make their way into public parks across the country.”
Among the park features are boulders sourced from local rock quarries combined with ropes for climbing and balancing logs built from beetle-infested pine trees
There will also be musical instruments, earth berm slides, a playhouse, swings and an interactive water feature to educate and remind children that water is a valuable and limited resource.
“We are so grateful to the South Okanagan Children’s Charity for the opportunity to partner with them to make this play space a reality,” says acting mayor Garry Litke. "The vision of this natural playground fits the spirit of Skaha Lake Park perfectly, as a green space with lots of shade for people of all ages to enjoy. This will contribute greatly to
waterfront enhancement, which is a strategic priority for the city."
With a price tag of $110,000, it was announced that over $80,000 has already been secured from several project partners including the City of Penticton ($30,000 funding commitment), Rotary Club of Penticton ($25,000), Tim Horton’s 2012 Smile Cookie campaign ($10,000), Community Foundation of the South Okanagan ($6,000), and Sun FM’s 2012 Working Women’s Open golf tournament ($4,000).
An additional $6,000 was raised through Sun FM 97.1 and EZ Rock 800 promotions in 2012 and Pattison Sign group has pledged the development of signage for the playground.
The South Okanagan Children’s Charity is launching a renewed campaign to secure the remaining funds before construction begins in September.
The charity will be seeking the funds through grant proposals, corporate sponsorships, service club donations and individual gifts from throughout the community.
Those interested in discovering an opportunity to become a project partner are welcome to call (250) 493-4302 or email [email protected]
