Westerman Park offers a hub of activity for children living in Lennox. After a swim at the pool or while a sibling warms up for a baseball game, children typically head to the playground for a bit of fun.
For the past two years, Prosper Country Warehouse and Event Hall owner Allie McLouth’s children have played at the playground at least twice a week. Although McLouth said they like the park as it is, they’ve also noticed the once vibrant reds of the equipment have faded and some of the slides have displayed cracks.
Come spring 2025, though, the playground will look a little different.
The City of Lennox and its park board have established plans for a new playground at Westerman Park, and they’re looking for community support to raise the final $30,000.
According to City Administrator Nathan Vander Plaats, the park board identified four goals last summer that it hoped to accomplish in the next year or two. The first on that list, Vander Plaats said, was a new Westerman Park playground.
“They had seen it deteriorate over the years, and it’s old and faded, but there’s also some cracks in the slides,” Vander Plaats said.
Vander Plaats said the equipment the city will replace appears to be at least 20 years old.
Renderings for the new playground show a wave zip slide, a bubble climbing wall attachment, a learning wall, a play disc, additional climbing features and more.
“[The park board] wanted it to apply to as many age groups as possible. They wanted it to have features that were accessible for individuals with disabilities,” Vander Plaats said.
McLouth said her older children are excited to have more equipment to climb on.
“And it’s something new, you know?” McLouth said. “Kids just get excited when you move their toys around. It’s something new and exciting to look forward to.”
The value of the new playground totals about $104,000, and the City of Lennox has budgeted $50,000 towards that. Vander Plaats said a grant program through the equipment manufacturer would contribute $24,000 to the total.
To raise the remaining $30,000 by the end of August, the city is asking the community for support, largely through the use of a GoFundMe page. According to Vander Plaats, the digital donation platform allows the city to reach a larger audience outside of just Lennox.
“You want to reach out to those folks that maybe grew up here but live in Sioux Falls or Omaha, or something like that, and make sure that they have an opportunity to contribute as well,” Vander Plaats said.
Opened on April 30, the GoFundMe has raised $1,325 through eight donations as of June 23. Outside of the online fundraiser, Vander Plaats said the new playground has received a grant from POET for a few thousand dollars and a donation from Raztech, the city’s IT provider.
Vander Plaats said the city will be applying for additional grants and reaching out to some of its known vendors for donations, but the park board wanted to ensure the community had the chance to contribute individually to the project as well, as it has done in the past with baseball fields and the swimming pool.
“Lennox is growing, and we obviously want more families to come,” McLouth said. “And it’s important to keep our town updated and family friendly.”
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