The Ava Community Playground Project hosted a Community Meeting and Dessert Dinner last Thursday, April 7th at the Middle School Cafeteria. Project general coordinator, Jessica Jenkins, gave a brief but thorough update on the current progress of the playground project. Dessert dinner was served to over 130 residents in attendance. Local youth groups volunteered to act as the wait staff and the desserts were donated by local community members. We appreciate everyone who provided a tasty treat. There were three sets of door prizes provided by Bass Pro Shops and awarded to residents in attendance at the meeting. Two Community Spirit Award Certificates were given out; one to the school class with the most students in attendance, which was Ms. Debbie’s Preschool class, and the other to Life Church of Ava for having the most members present. The evening was a huge success and several members of the community offered donations and pledges that evening bringing the total tally for the night to $4,200.
On Friday and Saturday the playground held a book sale at the Performing Arts Building and raised approximately $200. Author John Comer came to the event and graciously signed copies of his book; Life Through The Seasons. These events were a nice addition to the funds already raised, bringing our totals over $10,000 to date.
Upcoming events: Ava City Parks and Recreation are sponsoring a FREE Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, 4/16 from 4-7 p.m. (backup rain date will be 4/23). Bikers Against Child Abuse and Ava Community Playground Project will be assisting with the event. Bring a lawn chair to the park, bring the family, and enjoy a day of fun! There will be live music, food, egg decorating, face painting and the Easter Bunny himself will be there for pictures with the children. For more information, contact Jessica Jenkins at 417-343-5703 or email us at avaplayground@live.com.
