History and thoughts:

A giant spiderweb. . . a twisting climbing wall. . . a fantasy boat with slides and tubes. . . the playground committee has been working hard to bring a play space to Volcano. Many years ago when the original playground equipment was removed from the Cooper Center facilities (due to violations of OSHA and ADA requirements) no one imagined that it would take nearly two decades to replace the equipment. New structures, technically adult exercise equipment (and thus not subject to the same legislation as play equipment), were installed in the vacant area, but recently several small children were injured while playing on it, and the equipment was removed altogether. Luckily, the Playground Committee (a group of parents and other community members) has been meeting for over a year now to plan a play space that is safe and fun. We are very close: in our final fundraising push and looking forward to building at the end of the summer. 

 Volcano is a unique community with a diverse population and a special connection to the forest that surrounds us. The playground committee recognizes the distinctive character of Volcano. We are striving to create a space that will encourage physical and imaginative play, foster positive contact between families, and not feel out-of-place or remove any of our precious forest. Because of laws governing safety and access we realized that it would be prudent to work with a company which would guarantee compliance with OSHA and ADA regulations, rather than trying to navigate the labyrinth ourselves. We were fortunate to find a local company (Island Recreation) willing to address our concerns about creating a fun space for our keiki while maintaining the character of Volcano. The play structures are made of recycled materials and come with a 10+ year warrantee. Before designing our play area we conscripted the aid of several local individuals and companies and carefully examined the existing cleared area at Cooper Center. We mapped the contours and trees and were able to design/select structures that would fit in the spaces that already exist between trees. 

 After months of observation at Island playgrounds and impromptu interviews with parents and children, we came up with a playground designed to accommodate the skills and needs of both older and younger children.  For children 5-12 years, we have chosen a web-like structure and a twisty climbing wall (note: we are only fundraising for the "web" at this time); neither of these play structures are found anywhere else on the Big Island. For younger children were planning a custom boat-shaped structure with more traditional playground features (like a slide) and a roof to help protect kids from sun and light rain. We are planning a community-built playground; one that will rely on the hands and help of the community to bring costs down and to provide an example of what a strong community can accomplish.

 We are very close to our final fundraising goal.  We have raised all but $4,500 of the approximately $52,000 needed to purchase the two structures, and the County is providing us with the safety surfacing (which would be an additional $100,000 or so if we had done it ourselves). If you have a skill, or product, time or money (it's tax-deductible) to donate, please kokua. Contact us at VolcanoPlayground@yahoo.com–