We are excited to announce that the original project completion date for our 2023 Outreach Grant has been extended, granting us more time to ensure the success of our playground resurfacing project. This year, we were fortunate to secure an additional grant, enabling us to dive deeper into the realms of grant writing and the world of commercial playgrounds.

However, a recent twist in our journey has brought us to an unexpected crossroads. As we placed an order for the much-needed rubber mulch earlier this week, we encountered a question that gave us pause: “Please confirm color.” Little did we know that rubber mulch comes in a variety of colors, each guaranteed for a remarkable 12 years. We are not going to be changing this out again any time soon, so let’s take a beat and consider our options.

The bright colors say kid friendly, so red, green or blue. We are a lake community, so green or blue. The green makes natural grass look gray by comparison, so blue. Five minutes in and we are team blue all the way.

Five minutes later, we discover that blue is not available from our vendor’s supplier. And they cannot predict when it will be. In terms of availability, one of the three big chain home stores lists blue as an option while the other two do not. Another local supplier has the same issue with availability of blue. Seems like the blue scarcity may indeed be a thing.

As a result of these developments, we now have the luxury of additional time to complete the project after a bit more research into available options.

Meanwhile, we’re taking preliminary steps, eliminating the grass from inside the playground area and trimming. In the weeks to come, we will continue to prep the area, leveling the existing surface to ensure a solid foundation for the mulch.

We extend our gratitude to the community for your unwavering patience and support throughout this journey. We will keep you updated on the details of the mulch-spreading party as soon as possible. Your continued support means the world to us.

Thank you for being part of this exciting adventure!