SNOHOMISH — A service group wants to fill what it sees as a gap in city parks: A place for teens and tweens.
The Snohomish Kiwanis is fundraising a minimum of $60,000 to plop a new park in town.
“It’s a project we’re really excited about,” Kiwanis member Roberta Alley said. It’s a park meant to stand the test of time.
The effort began last fall and already has $25,000 in committed donations.
The Kiwanis want to survey middle school and high school students in the Snohomish Youth Council and the Kiwanis’ youth Key Clubs for guidance. Some ideas could be climbing walls, exercise stations and dedicated places to hang.
“As we talk with teens, we’ll narrow it down” for what will be in the park, Alley said. The site could be a spot enjoyed by adults, too.
“It’s not going to be swings and slides,” she said.
The Kiwanis do not intend to focus on athletics because this is broadly served already with the skate park and the indoor court inside the Boys & Girls Club.
Overall for the approximately 5,000 students between grades 7 and 12 in Snohomish, adding another space makes sense to the Kiwanis.
“If we want middle school and high school students to stay in our community, it has to be close to them,” Alley said.
The Snohomish Lions Club has leaped in to support the project, and other service groups are welcome to help fundraise, too.
To contribute individually, go to www.snohokiwanis.org to find a link to PayPal or mail a check to the Kiwanis at P.O. Box 1035, Snohomish, WA 98291.
The city is wishing the Kiwanis its best toward reaching the goal, city project manager Brennan Collins said.
The Snohomish Kiwanis meets every Thursday from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch at Collector’s Choice Restaurant on Cypress Avenue. It is a hybrid in-person and online meeting where people can participate face-to-face or through Zoom. Email snohokiwanis@gmail.com for access or questions about the park project.
