Volunteer project brightens Larson Heights playground

MOSES LAKE — The playground toys at Larson Heights Elementary are still fun — after all, there’s nothing like some good climbing bars — and they’re durable, but they’re old. 

“The playground here is 60 years old,” said Art Brown, pastor of the Light of Larson church. Church members have been working with school administrators and the parent-teacher organization for about 10 years to make improvements, Brown said, and one of the current projects is raising money for new playground toys. But in the meantime, there’s the existing equipment. 

“We wanted to paint it, dress it up a little,” Brown said.

As a result painting the playground equipment became one of the projects assigned to a youth group from the CitiPoint Church in Mt. Vernon. The teens have been coming to Moses Lake for four years, partnering with the Light of Larson congregation on projects to help the community.

Lowe’s donated the paint, Brown said.

Teens clustered around the climbing bars and swings on a hot Saturday morning, paintbrushes and rollers in hand, covering all available services in bright red, yellow, light blue and lime green. 

Brown said Larson students and staff have been through a challenging few years, and many are struggling. Church members wanted to do something to support them, Brown said.

“This is something we can give back, something we can do,” he said.

CitiPoint youth pastor Jordan Paris said about 20 teen volunteers will spend their time working on whatever projects they have been assigned. They’ve painted the playground toys in Doolittle Park on previous trips, and covered graffiti in the Larson neighborhood and along Patton Boulevard. 

Paris said it’s a way for the teens to learn about — and practice — service.

“They get the joy of being useful to God,” Paris said.

Brown said the painting is the first phase of a longer-term project to improve the playground. Larson students have been raising money for new playground toys.

“We’ve been saving for about the last four years,” he said. 

To date they’ve raised about $20,000, and in 2023 the Lakesiders Car Club donated the proceeds from the car show they sponsored at the annual Spring Festival on Memorial Day weekend. That added another $5,000.

The slides on the playground for kindergartners are scheduled to be removed, and the money the children have raised will pay for a new toy to take their place. Playground toys are expensive, though, and Brown said the group will need help — volunteer help — from a licensed contractor to install it. People who want to donate to the playground toy project, or to volunteer, can contact Brown at pastorart.brown@hotmail.com.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Volunteers from the CitiPoint Church tackled the task of painting the playground equipment at Larson Heights Elementary from all angles.
  

    Volunteers from a Mt. Vernon church have a partnership with the Light of Larson Church, and the projects for 2024 was a paint job at Larson Heights Elementary.
  

    Volunteers add bright color to playground toys at Larson Heights Elementary Saturday morning.