Members of the Nanaimo Gyro Club present a cheque for $15,000 to #Lantzville Mayor Colin Haime on July 20. The money will be used towards new playground equipment at Huddlestone Park. pic.twitter.com/armTMuBCjo
— Nicholas M Pescod (@npescod) July 25, 2018
A Nanaimo-based organization will lend a financial hand to a Lantzville park.
The Gyro Club of Nanaimo informed the District of Lantzville earlier this month that it would be donating at least $10,000 toward playground equipment improvements at Huddlestone Park, and the final tally came in at $15,000.
Speaking to the News Bulletin, Saul Hilchey, past-president and current member of the Gyro club, said when Huddlestone Park was first constructed, the equipment was provided by the club back in the 1990s.
“The original log that is down there at Huddlestone Park, actually said ‘Gyro sponsored’ but there was a bush that grew in front of it,” Hilchey said.
Lantzville councillors committed $142,000 playground equipment at Huddlestone Park earlier this year and had launched a residential survey to gain feedback about what possible upgrades residents would like to see at the park.
Hilchey said with the park equipment reaching the end of its useful life, his organization felt it was only right to contribute to Huddlestone Park once again. He said they were able to raise $15,000 from corporate donors, including RBC.
“We have a mandate to help parks and youth and that is the purpose of the club,” Hilchey said.
Frank Limshue, the district’s community planner, said the Nanaimo Gyro Club’s donation was unexpected, but very welcomed.
“We were quite excited,” he said.
Survey results from the district showed that the most popular potential addition to Huddlestone Park was a zipline. At the time of the survey’s commission back in April, Limshue said it was unlikely a zipline would come to the park due to money and geography.
“We will be looking at additional playground equipment. The goal is to try provide equipment that they would like to see,” Limshue said.