A community-led effort to replace aging playground equipment at the Empire Village beach reached its zenith on Saturday when dozens of volunteers turned out for a work bee.

Karen Baja

“It was amazing. We had a tremendous turnout Saturday,” said Darlene Friend, Empire Village office administrator and one of 60 people who helped out. Last fall, a private citizen-led effort led by Empire Village trustee Karen Baja raised $35,000 for the project. Coupled with a $30,000 grant from Game Time, a playground equipment company based in Alabama, the aging equipment at the beach was replaced as part of the overall beach improvement project.

Work started on Friday night with the unwrapping of the equipment pieces and preparing the area. “We even started putting some of the stuff together,” Friend said. She was a little concerned after only some 10 people came Friday to help with the unwrapping.

Her concerns were allayed when a group of about 40 or so people were at the beach and ready to go at 9 a.m. Saturday. Overall, Friend said 60 people showed throughout the day to help out. “Some came in the morning and left, some came in the afternoon and a lot of people came and stayed all day,” she said.

Since the playground area is located in beach sand, the volunteers placed the equipment in buckets filled with cement and dug about three feet before leveling off the area to set the pieces. Friend said the village had Department of Public Works employees back-fill the area on Monday and Tuesday to make sure everything is properly placed and secure.

Eagle's perch climber

Among new equipment was a playground tower, an Eagle’s Perch Climber, swings, and teeter-totters.

Friend said the final piece was set in place about 6 p.m. Saturday, with clean up of the area taking another hour and a half. The playground area should be ready for use by today, June 7, or tomorrow, June 8. Food for the volunteers was donated by many Empire businesses.

The Village Inn provided food for the volunteer workers, with Elmer’s providing some cement labor. Kal Excavating excavated the playground area.

KAREN BAJA (above, right) helps fellow volunteers install the new playground tower at the Empire beach Saturday. The Eagle’s Perch Climber (below) also had plenty of installation help at Saturday’s work bee. (Photos courtesy of Harry Friend)