The Kiwanis Club of Redmond is growing its fund to help construct a playground at the new Redmond Area Park and Recreation District swim and recreation center that’ll open later this year. Thanks to a $25,000 donation from its parent organization, Kiwanis International Foundation, the Redmond Kiwanis now has $143,000 in its playground coffers and is nearly halfway to its goal of $250,000.
Carl Vertrees, past president and active member of the Kiwanis Club of Redmond, said the playground equipment is ordered and will be installed by year’s end. He said the total cost of the playground is $600,000, with the difference between the Kiwanis’ input of $250,000, which the group hopes includes grants for which they’ve applied, and the final cost coming from “accrued interest on the bonds that I’m told was unanticipated at the time of the construction.”
He said the Kiwanis Club of Redmond donated money and was “instrumental in constructing” the Cascade Swim Center, which opened in 1979 at 465 SW Rimrock Way. It’s the area’s only public swimming pool and home to RAPRD offices. He added that the group also helped fund the original Sam Johnson Park playground in 1990 and then contributed $400,000 to its redesign and refurbishment into the Hope Playground in 2015.
In November 2022, voters approved a $49 million bond to build a new 56,000-square-foot swim and recreation center at SW 35th Street and Lava Avenue. Known as “The Hub,” it’ll include a competitive and leisure pool, locker rooms, gymnasium, exercise facilities, group fitness rooms, special event spaces, offices and other administrative and support spaces. The new center will cater to Redmond’s growing population. When the Cascade Swim Center opened in 1979, Redmond had a population of approximately 6,500. Today, RAPRD serves more than 52,000 people.
When the Redmond Kiwanis became aware of the 2022 bond, Vertrees said the group knew it wanted to be involved in some aspect of its development, ultimately landing on constructing a playground at the site.
“The Kiwanis is all about kids, and that is a common thread among our members,” Vertrees said, adding that the public can still donate to the Redmond Kiwanis’ playground fundraising efforts by turning out to its “R’Oktoberfest” fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Wild Ride Brewing from 2-9pm. There’ll be live music, hot dogs and brats, and a costume contest. Additionally, donations can be sent to Redmond Kiwanis Foundation, P.O. Box 253, Redmond, OR, 97756.
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