Nodaway Lake playground fundraising underway

The cat is out of the bag that the Nodaway Lake will likely have a new playground before long.

The equipment at Nodaway Lake, simply known to locals as the Old Lake, is in bad need of replacement, and the Greater Greenfield Community Foundation (GGCF) is helping oversee fundraising efforts, while the city helped decide options for coloring of the equipment. The winner of a social media contest was an earth tones color pallet which features shades of greens and browns.

While the project has been in the works for awhile, it was jump-started by the family of Bill Raasch, a longtime local educator who was also on the Greenfield Parks and Rec board. His wife, Judi, and their children, came forward looking for a way to fittingly honor him within the community, and GGCF officials suggested the playground project at the Old Lake.

Total cost for the new playground is estimated to be around $75,000.

The foundation also helped with the new city park playground, which is nearly complete, and the Nodaway Valley Elementary School playground project, which is part way complete.

There have been other playground projects recently around the area, including a handicap playground project in Fontanelle and another in the Bridgewater City Park, however Jennifer Garside, a GGCF representative, thinks all of the projects have been successful because they’re targeted at different audiences.

“When you’re talking about Nodaway Valley you’re really talking about the people that go there and those parents. With the city park, that started right before COVID and we cut that off because we didn’t feel that was a proper time, so we just lucked out with people loving our city park and sending us donations, as well as grants, and we did it in less than 18 months,” Garside said. “The campground, you’re going to have people who use the lakes, are into nature, and there are die-hard campers who have kids. We’re even going to get information out to people who don’t live in the county but come here every summer to camp. I don’t feel so bad because we’re really targeting three different types of people, but they’ve all been very supportive.”

Those who would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Nodaway Lake playground project may mail a donation to:

GGCF

Lake Playground Fund

P.O. Box 13

Greenfield, Iowa 50849