Community effort revives Waynesboro YMCA playground

It started with the need for a new fence. Eventually, the Waynesboro YMCA playground got a facelift.

“We went to the opening, and it was great to watch them enjoy the new playground. It was nice. It came out great. To see their happy faces, it means a lot,” said Patty Rouse, who with her husband, Bob, donated money for the new fencing, and for an addition, a five-car train set.

Y Childcare director Rebecca Patton came across the train set while doing some research on playgrounds and circled it as being part of a wish list for the playground.

“The Rouses are very generous when it comes to covering scholarships for families that can’t afford programming,” said Jeff Fife, the executive director of the YMCA. “When I approached them about upgrading the playground – they really stepped up.”

Fife had already asked the Rouses to provide the funding for the new fencing, which had been mentioned as a priority in a licensing review.

“My wife and I are interested in things that benefit the youth,” Bob Rouse said. “We got a call from Jeff that this playground equipment was available, and we elected to go ahead and buy it. We had already agreed to put up the fence surrounding the playground and some general improvements there. This was just a nice addition to what was already being done.”

Work on the project began in March with the removal of the old fencing by childcare staff. A group of cadets from Fishburne Military School volunteered in shoveling a trench for a new border to be placed for the new fencing, and the SMAC swim team pitched in, spreading the more than 10 tons of gravel to serve as the base for the playground. The Augusta Home Builders Association donated a playhouse, and volunteers built and planted new gardens and removed a dead tree from the center of the play area. The new playground was dedicated on June 9, and it was an instant hit.

“The children have enjoyed the playground every day,” said Patton. “We have been able to eat lunch out there and have multiple trips per day. The generosity of the Rouses, the hard work of our playground maintenance team and the swim team made it all come together perfectly.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to stop by and check things out, be sure to ride by.”