McCormick Library Opens Community Playground

The McCormick County Public Library held a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for its new community playground on Saturday June 9th at 10 am.

According to library director Paul Brown, "This project could not have been considered without the unexpected generosity of a local library patron who bequeathed her estate to the library. This gift totaled $50,555 and was the seed money that started it all."

After the Library Board decided to pursue the project in 2009, a community input meeting was held that brought together various local leaders to discuss design ideas and brainstorm fundraising options.

Fundraising activities included grant applications, used book sales, presentations to local charitable organizations, and a public campaign in the local newspaper. Thanks to book sales and many hundreds of hours of volunteer time, the Friends of the Library group were able to contribute $30,000 to the project over a four year period. In 2011, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and national non-profit KaBOOM! awarded the library a $15,000 Let's Play Playground Construction grant.

The library also received donations from many individuals and organizations including the local Lions Club, Garden Club, Soil and Water Conservation Board, NAACP, Visitors Council, Lutheran Church, Methodist Church, Baptist Church, and the Town of McCormick. All totaled to date (not including the original bequest) the library has raised $64,000.

Brown continued, "The library and playground together certainly provide the benefit of a convenient 'one-stop-shop' experience for families with young children. Early literacy skills are a strong predictor of later academic success, so it is very important to get children into the library at an early age. By pairing a playground with the library, we provide the opportunity for both healthy, active minds and healthy, active bodies."

For more information, contact Paul Brown, McCormick County Library Director, at 864-852-2821 or email mccormicklibrary@hotmail.com.

Photo: Sandy Branch Fire Department Assists in Assembling the Playground for McCormick Public Library, May 12, 2012.