After an initial delay following previous weather events, the Village Green in Cashiers has finally kicked off the grand opening for the highly anticipated expansion titled The Village Play, providing an onslaught of new activities for kids.
“I think the playground is fantastic. There are so many fun, new, cool elements that these kids have never seen that I think are going to be a great place for them to imagine things and make up fun play with the original elements, which are all super fun,” said Brandy Letson, board member for The Village Green.
The grand opening ceremony was attended by residents, including children from the Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau, who celebrated the new playground with warm enthusiasm.
Featuring a festive atmosphere, with activities and refreshments, The Village Green celebrated the occasion with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to mark the beginning of a new era for the playground.
“We would like to recognize the original donors and builders,” Letson added. “Many of our happiest memories have been made here and we look forward to making many more.”
As families begin to explore the new playground, The Village Green plans to host regular events and activities in the playground area, encouraging families to use the space and engage with one another.
The original playground was built in 2002, which brought together 5,000 residents building the foundation of the area over the span of a weekend. Twenty-three years later, some of those same residents attended the ceremony, and thanked the community for its positive.
“We broke ground on it this past spring, but the planning stage was about six months and the fundraising stage went very quickly, which is very nice,” Letson said.
The eagerly anticipated expansion aims to enhance recreational opportunities in the area and foster a sense of community among residents and their children. Some of the new features include a rock-climbing wall, a rope maze, a swing set and new slides, ensuring extra fun.
“I hope these kids get to use their little minds and have the best time here coming up with games and fun things to do with their friends. I hope they make new friends here. The playground is all about children and the community,” Letson said.
In addition to the new playground equipment, the expansion includes shaded seating areas for parents and caregivers, allowing them to relax and watch their children away from the sun.
The Village Play was made possible through the support of businesses, community donations and fundraising efforts, which reflects the commitment Cashiers residents have to create nurturing environment for the community’s children.
“I just think the playground is sort of a microcosm of what encapsulates Cashiers, the DNA of the area that we want to try to preserve into the future,” said Bill Horton, board member of The Village Green. “You’ve got people that have multi-generational folks that were born and raised here, their grandparents live here. It’s the one place that all that stuff sort of fits together well.”
- Kevin McCall
reporter@highlandsnews.com