Land O’ Lakes Community Playground to host opening

The Land O’ Lakes Community Playground will celebrate its official opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday, June 8, at 3 p.m. at the playground (4331 Highway B). Festivities will continue until 6 p.m. at the Snowflake Ice Rink, located behind the town hall.

The event, sponsored by the Community Playground Committee and the VFW Auxiliary, is free and open to the public.

Highlights include live music from Levi Ballenger, burgers, chips, and beverages for purchase from the VFW Auxiliary, face painting from Miss B’s Creations, LOLA art projects for children, 50/50 raffles, and more. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to sit back and enjoy the music.

All proceeds will benefit local children.

A community effort

The Land O’ Lakes Community Playground became a reality thanks to the work of the Community Playground Committee, generous donations, and several grant awards.

Committee member Linda Coyle shared that she and Rhonda Sprague joined the Public Art Committee in 2020. Around that time, Lynn Richie introduced the idea of building a musical playground. When the group reviewed the existing equipment, they found that, while lovingly built, it was outdated and no longer met modern safety standards. They decided to raise funds for a new playground.

While they had early support from other community members, the primary sub-committee included Coyle, Sprague, Lynn Jolin, Kathy Hirvela, and Joanne Schellgell.

To ensure the new playground reflected community needs, the committee conducted surveys and held informational events at local churches. They then sought bids from three vendors and selected Lee Recreation, a Wisconsin-based company.

Fundraising began in 2021 and concluded in the fall of 2024. The committee applied for 24 grants and secured seven, ranging from $300 to $51,000. They also hosted three gala fundraisers — one at Gateway featuring professional dancers and two murder mystery events at Ely Church. Local merchants supported the effort with donations for silent auctions and direct contributions, including a $7,500 donation from Deerwood Resort.

In total, nearly 300 individuals donated to the project, contributing amounts ranging from $10 to $10,000. The committee raised over $270,000 and expressed deep gratitude to all donors, saying, “They are the reason we now have such a beautiful play area for families and children to gather.”

Expenses were limited to essentials, including printing, food and drink for events, web services, and playground materials such as concrete and wood chips. The committee had no office or paid staff; volunteers handled all fundraising and event planning.

Although the Town of Land O’ Lakes was incredibly supportive, the committee did not request or receive town funding. Their fundraising goal included enough to build a gazebo and to make a donation to the town for landscaping and playground maintenance.