MONTGOMERY – The city of Athens hopes to bring more laughter, fun and participation to a community playground with the help of a $50,000 grant announced by Gov. Robert Bentley.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund grant will help renovate the Kids Dugout Playground at the Sportsplex to make it accessible to children with disabilities. The city will purchase and install handicap-accessible playground equipment on a special pad with safety surfacing.
“Providing a safe, fun area for children to play and families to spend time together builds stronger communities,” Bentley said. “I am pleased to support this effort to provide all children an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.”
The city also will improve the landscaping, clean up current equipment and paint the gazebo.
Athens is matching the grant with $50,000 in local funding and in-kind assistance from the police and public works departments and the Boy Scouts. LWCF grants require a 50 percent local match that may include money, in-kind materials or labor.
Congress created the LWCF program in 1964 to assist states with the development and preservation of outdoor recreational facilities.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant. ADECA manages a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, workforce development, energy conservation, economic development, water resource management and recreation.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Mike Presley