A playground honouring a late Afghanistan veteran was dedicated on Sept. 22 at Holy Trinity School.
The playground was to be dedicated to Cpl. Nathan Hornburg, who served with the King's Own Calgary Regiment, which has historical ties to Olds.
Through the efforts of parent volunteers and the strong support of the community – and the Let Them Be Kids organization – the Holy Trinity School Parent Advisory Council (PAC) was able to make the building of the playground a reality.
“The sponsorship or funding from the community has been spectacular. There was a need (to fundraise) and we put it out there and it's pretty much 100 per cent filled at this time,” said Lorrie Johnson, chair of the Holy Trinity School PAC.
“The community has risen far above what we thought maybe they would have. We wanted it to become a community event and it has become that,” she said.
Volunteers spent Saturday erecting the playground structures intended for use by not only the children who go to school there but by the Highlands neighbourhood residents as well as the rest of the town.
Johnson said the PAC hopes to build on many of the partnerships that were created with community organizations during this project, including the Knights of Columbus, the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, Catholic Women's League, Girl Guides and the Town of Olds.
Let Them Be Kids is a non-profit organization that helps volunteers with resources for community groups to make a playground more than just a structure, but a community gathering place.
Cpl. Nathan Hornburg's parents were expected to attend the official ribbon cutting.
