TOLLESBORO — The Tollesboro Lions Club Playground project placed among the top five finalists in the Beautify the Bluegrass Initiative,

Beautify the Bluegrass is an initiative and contest co-sponsored by Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and Kentucky Living Magazine as a way for communities to identify and improve areas in their communities. This year marks the third year for this initiative.

Craig Stanfield, member of the Tollesboro Lion’s Club, said he was the one who entered the project into the Beautify the Bluegrass initiative. He said he had all of the information to be able to enter into the initiative, so he thought it would be a good idea to go for it.

“I thought our project was a worthy project for consideration, so I submitted it,” he said.

Construction of the playground began in 2018 when Lewis County received a grant through the Centers for Disease Control, which was then administered by the University of Kentucky and the Lewis County Extension Office. The grant was intended to target obesity and aid communities in combating it.

Using the grant, one of the projects started was the construction of two playgrounds, one in Tollesboro and the other in Garrison. The grant paid for the playgrounds’ equipment, however the labor costs were not included.

The Tollesboro Lions Club and the Lewis County Farm Bureau were more than happy to pitch in to supply the funds for manpower.

Within the Tollesboro playground there are is plenty of exercising equipment, such as slides, stairs, a rock climbing wall, and overhead ladder to name a few. There is also equipment that is ADA compliant so that all children can enjoy the playground.

When Stanfield submitted the playground into the initiative, he said he had no idea that it would go as far as it did in reaching the finals. However, going this far in the competition does a lot to validate the effort that several members of the community has put into the project.

“It means recognition for our community and our partners who helped us put the playground into fruition. We couldn’t have done it without all the people who helped us.”

The polls for the contest will be open on July 29, where people can review the finalists and vote for their favorite Beautify the Bluegrass project on kentuckyliving.com/beautify.

Polls will close on Aug. 3, and the winner will be revealed at the Kentucky State Fair on Aug. 23 during the “Best in Kentucky” awards show.

The overall winner will receive a barbecue dinner for up to 200 members of the winning team, with Bevin and Lt. Governor Jenean Hampton attending.

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Jonathan Wright

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