'Summer Slide' event helps raise volunteers for Olsrud Playground renovation

MEDFORD, Ore.– The Medford Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department hosted a Summer Slide “friend-raiser” with the Rotary Club of Medford over the weekend in preparation for the renovation of the Olsrund Family Community Playground at Bear Creek Park.

The event saw hundreds of residents come out on Saturday to enjoy a 120-foot slip-and-slide as the main event, music, food and other children’s activities.

Attendees were also able to enjoy some clean air for most of the day while learning about the proposed project for the playground.

“The brand new playground is going to be fully accessible to kids of all abilities so that’s going to be awesome,” said Tim Stevens, assistant parks and recreations director. “There’s going to be upscale amenities like zip lines, we’re also going to have an apparatus that’s called a spider bouncer which is like an enclosed trampoline.”

Medford Parks and Recreation is asking for the assistance of 3,000 volunteers to help during the construction period at the end of September into the beginning of October. Members will be able to help build portions of the 14,500-square-foot playground designed by Leathers and Associates, who will be sending in three project managers to help coordinate the effort.

Parks officials say they are close to reaching that volunteer goal as well as the $610,000 goal for the park set to end mid-summer this year.

If you would like to donate or sign-up to volunteer, you can learn more at the city’s website, www.playmedford.com.