New playground at Hayward Park takes big step forward

Kids in the west-side neighborhood around Hayward Elementary just got a lot closer to a new playground.

An effort by the Leadership Sioux Falls class, which graduated today,  raised more than $113,000 in two months.

That beats their target of $100,000 and will go a long way toward meeting the broader $200,000 goal to help privately fund the playground as part of a bigger project to upgrade Hayward Park.

“I think it was a good first opportunity for a lot of people to try fundraising and see how that experience goes,” said James Gaspar, a member of the Leadership Sioux Falls class who helped coordinate the effort.

“This was a lot higher impact that anything Leadership Sioux Falls has done before, and I think it’s a good model for future classes to follow if they want to attempt something like this.”

Part of the Leadership Sioux Falls program is meant to encourage community leaders to become more involved, especially on boards, which often involves fundraising, so this project provided a first-time experience in that area for many.

More than 200 Leadership Sioux Falls graduates and businesses contributed.

While the playground hasn’t been designed yet, the concept being discussed is something that would emphasize fitness and be geared more toward older kids.

“It was a bigger lift than most projects, but it will have an impact beyond our class, and I hope it inspires future classes to dream big about what they can accomplish,” said Matt Paulson, another member of the class and co-organizer.

“And I think the process will give people a template to use if they find themselves in charge of something. If you can ask someone for $50, asking for $500 becomes a lot easier.”

The park design is scheduled to be done this year with construction in 2022. The City Council also approved the public-funding portion of the work, $2.45 million, which will include a splash park and dog park.

There is still money left to be raised. To contribute, click here.

Forgotten no more: Park improvements are coming to west-side neighborhood