Shawville’s Mill Dam Park was teeming with children and their caretakers on Saturday as the Parents’ Voice hosted their second Park Party. Well over 100 youngsters took part in the wide range of activities, from soaking themselves in the splash pad, to face painting and even a bouncy castle.
The Shawville Clarendon Fire Department brought out a truck that the children could explore and the Shawville Lions kept everyone fed with grub straight off the barbeque. There were also cold refreshments and treats like fruit kebabs to be had.
Parents’ Voice member Chrissy Gibb explained that the event was held to raise money for an initiative to improve the park.
“It’s a fundraiser for our shade project. A couple years ago we had the trees put in for shade but it takes at least five or six years for them to really [develop],” she said. “We want to buy sun shades with the municipality of Shawville so that we have shade between the splash pad and the play structure. We’re collecting donations and selling freezies and things like that to go towards that project.”
She said that the lack of shade in the park is a concern for parents who want to enjoy the park’s amenities with their children.
“It’s so important now that people know about the risks of the sun,” she said. “It’s a beautiful, open space but there’s no shade. The risks of skin cancer and the effects are so dangerous.”
Last year the Parent’s Voice orchestrated a ‘Touch a Truck’ event at the park and Gibb said they would likely alternate between that and a park party in future years.
“We lucked out with the weather because it hasn’t been nice this summer and today it’s beautiful,” she concluded.
