FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will there be child care available?
Yes, there will be FREE child care provided at First Baptist Church for children 9 & under. You MUST be sure to register by Monday, March 10 if you need child care.  We need to know how many children and their ages in order to have enough volunteer babysitters lined up.  Also, you must bring food, snacks and drinks for your kid(s).

Is it ok if I cannot be there for the whole shift?
Yes, we will appreciate any time you can give.  It’s ok if you arrive late or have to leave early.  It would be helpful if you mention that when registering.

Do I need to bring my lunch (or dinner)?
No!  Thanks to our fabulous food committee, all of the lunches and dinners will be provided.  Thanks to many generous churches, businesses and individuals, there will also be plenty of bottled water, snacks and breakfast foods!

What will the playground look like?
At this point, we only have drawings of our playground design. (Click on the photo below to enlarge it.) But in the meantime, you can check out photos of other playgrounds that were also designed by Leathers Associates and built by communities.

What steps are being taken to prevent vandalism?
The interesting thing about community built playgrounds is they generally experience less vandalism than other playgrounds.  When children, youth and adults contribute their own time and money to build the playground, it creates a sense of ownership and pride in the playground, which makes everyone want to take care of it.

The playground committee is also looking into additional lighting and security cameras for the park as well.  Any funds leftover after building the playground will go towards lighting, security and maintenance.

Who will be responsible for maintaining the playground?
The Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Bonham will primarily be responsible for playground maintenance.  The playground planning committee plans to conduct an annual fundraiser to ensure that there are always funds to do any needed repairs or maintenance.  In addition, the playground will always be a work site for the annual Great Days of Service in Bonham, which is held each October so that community volunteers can be a part of maintaining this playground.

Why are we raising so much money and having volunteers build the playground?  Wouldn’t it be cheaper and faster to buy some pre-made components and have them installed?
While we may be able to spend less money and get it done faster by buying pre-made playground components, we would end up with a much smaller, more generic playground that would be more prone to vandalism.  When we are done, we will have a unique, one-of-a-kind playground that is much larger and worth two or three times the amount of cash we raise, because we will build it with volunteer labor and get many in-kind donations as well.  Plus, there will be an intangible benefit of building a sense of community and pride by having so many people come together for a common purpose of building this playground.

Check back soon for more Frequently Asked Questions!