Waskasoo Playground Project

COME ON IN AND TAKE A LOOK!

Auction begins October 17 at 8:00 am and ends October 20 at 8:00 pm. Please SPREAD THE WORD -- USE THE SHARE BUTTONS to share this site by e-mail, facebook, pinterest, and twitter.

A COUPLE NOTES BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

1. To see all the items available, BE SURE TO HIT THE "VIEW ALL ITEMS BUTTON."

2. To make a bid, you will be asked to register. It takes just a few seconds and you will not receive any junk mail or have your e-mail address shared. Registration is only needed so you can BID ANONYMOUSLY, be reminded when the auction is coming to a close, AND be contacted if your bid is the winner.

3. We MAY ADD ITEMS while the auction is on, so come back often.

4. The auction has "EXTENDED BIDDING" which means that if an items receives a bid in the final 3 minutes of the auction, its end time will be extended by 3 minutes. These extensions will carry on for a maximum of 30 minutes.

NOW POUR YOURSELF YOUR FAVORITE BEVERAGE, PUT YOUR FEET UP, AND BEGIN .... Happy shopping!!!!!

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INFORMATION ON THE PLAYGROUND PROJECT

Waskasoo will soon be home to a one-of-a-kind, family play park like nothing else in Red Deer.

The Waskasoo Community Association is excited to announce that we are moving on to the third, the final, the grandest phase of the playground renovation — redeveloping the play area at 58th Street and 45th Avenue!

Thanks to the generous support of Shunda Consulting and Construction Management and The City of Red Deer, we will replace the current climbing structure with natural play equipment nestled in a landscape of greenery, benches, tables and pathways beneath the existing cottonwoods and elms. This will be an imaginative, spectacular, area-defining gathering place for families and neighbours of all ages. For examples of the type of playspace we are looking at see http://www.earthscapeplay.com/projects/ Really, take a look, you’ll be blown away!

WHY A NEW PLAYGROUND, YOU ASK?

The playground project responds to two primary needs for the community as outlined in the City of Red Deer Waskasoo Community Plan. A century-old neighbourhood, Waskasoo has come under intense development pressures. Therefore, the City of Red Deer invested considerable time and expense to create a Neighbourhood Redevelopment and Community Plan. Early on in the two years of research, it was determined that one of Waskasoo's primary needs is a place for social interaction and community building. A study of the area's demographics also revealed that more and more young families are purchasing homes in Waskasoo, a neighbourhood with no amenities for preschool children.

The plan recommends that the WCA take the lead and transform the fifty-year-old Waskasoo Playground into a family gathering place that recognizes the input gathered from community members during the Neighbourhood Plan research process. Thus the WCA constructed a community food forest and garden in the corner of the play field and built a gazebo to the south of the garden. Now, we are working to build a unique, area-defining natural playspace with plenty of amenities for preschool children. (Peruse the Waskasoo Community Plan here http://www.reddeer.ca/media/reddeerca/business-in-red-deer/planning-and-development-of-property/planning/Waskasoo-Community-Plan---Final-February-10-2016.pdf . See page 27 for a summary of the ideas put forward by community members for updating the playground )

WHAT EXACTLY IS MY MONEY SUPPORTING?

100% of the proceeds from this auction will go towards the playground -- developing plans, purchasing and installing play equipment, a fence, and landscaping. Estimates indicate that we will need $5500 - $7000 to engage a company to develop plans and $260 000 to purchase and install equipment and landscaping.

HOW WILL YOU RAISE ALL THAT MONEY?

Once we have a concrete plan for the playground layout and features, we can begin applying for provincial and corporate grants as well as continuing grass roots fundraising, establishing sponsorships, and enlisting volunteers. As mentioned above, we have already secured support from Shunda Consulting and Construction Management as well as The City of Red Deer.

WHAT IF WHAT I WANT TO BID ON IS ALREADY PURCHASED BY SOMEONE BUT I STILL WANT TO HELP OUT?

Of course, we are also open to plain old cash donations! You can e-transfer a donation to payments@waskasoo.info or you can drop off or mail a donation our Treasurer, Dean, at 5805 45th Ave. Red Deer Alberta, T4N 3M1. Please make cheques payable to the Waskasoo Community Association. (Note: We are a non-profit but not a charity, so we cannot issue tax receipts.)

YOU CAN ALSO HELP OUT BY SHARING OUR AUCTION THROUGH FACEBOOK AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA. THE MORE PEOPLE WE REACH, THE MORE MONEY WE CAN RAISE!

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The Waskasoo Community Association's mandate is to make Waskasoo, a community of approximately 950 people, an even better place to live, work, learn, and play.