Park renovations near completion

The Tom Griffin Park, located on Springcreek Road and South Avenue M, is undergoing renovations for new park and playground equipment and is expected to complete its transformation within the next two weeks. The updates will include replacement of outdated park equipment that was more than several decades old. The last renovation to the park was made in 2014 when the 1,800 foot ‘walking trail’ was added and later the addition of the bridge in 2018.

Thanks to funding awarded by a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) in May of 2018, Keep Olney Beautiful (KOB) was able to begin renovating the park.

“Through various fundraisers and many generous donations from the citizens of Olney, Keep Olney Beautiful was able to raise sufficient funds to move forward with the renovation project,” said Keep Olney Beautiful President, Rue Rogers.

The existing park equipment needed to be removed in order to fall in compliance with the ADA and the TPWD requirements. After successfully tearing out the old equipment, KOB moved forward with purchasing all new playground equipment, swing sets, basket ball goals, benches, grills and shades throughout the park. Keep Olney Beautiful partnered with Red River Recreation to complete the project.

Citizens of Olney were excited to see the construction begin. Kalena Smith, Olney resident and parent, said, “My family and I love walking around the neighborhoods and in that area. As soon as we seen them putting up all the new equipment we’ve been eager to see it all finished and our son literally can’t wait to play.”

In closing, Rogers explained KOB’s vision for the park.

“Keep Olney Beautiful’s vision for Tom Griffin Park is to create a fun place for the citizens of Olney to enjoy. With new and updated equipment, we are confident the park will be an attraction for many years to come. We are thankful for the encouragement and support our board has received over the past few years as we worked to bring this project to fruition. We love Olney and we enjoy the opportunity to serve our community.”

Tax-deductible donations to help with Keep Olney Beautiful projects can be mailed to P.O. Box 501 Olney, TX 76374.