NEWS

October 1, 2007
Kiwanis members join ISP inmates to install new playground equipment

“Caring For Our Children.” That's the motto of all Kiwanis Clubs, nationally, internationally and in Fort Madison.

So when the local Kiwanis Club was contacted to help provide two additional playground sites at Ivanhoe Lane apartments at 4635 Ave. J, its members didn't wait to be asked twice.

“Actually, they initially contacted us in need of money and we told them we didn't have much money, but wanted to help. We ended up handling the labor,” Kiwanis member Jim Doore said while club members and Iowa State Penitentiary inmates worked most of Saturday installing the equipment.

Patty Toops, executive director of the Fort Madison Housing Authority, said the actual equipment was purchased with a Housing and Urban Development grant, but that the volunteer labor was literally worth thousands of dollars.

Toops said the Ivanhoe Lane family housing complex, which consists of several separate buildings, has multiple playground sites which are designed for specific age groups.

“What they call the baby park over there is for the real little ones, then there's this new one and another for the preschool age, and on the other side of this building will be a new rock climbing play area for the older kids,” Toops said.

Saturday's seven-hour installation provided its own entertainment for many of the children living in the complex area.

“But we can't play on it for three days,” said one little girl who appeared as if she would be marking those days off on her mother's calendar.

And luck, or coincidence, played a role in ISP and the Kiwanis group answering the Housing Authority's call for help.

“Our incoming president is Rebecca Bowker and she also serves on the board (of the Housing Authority) and really put this thing together,” Doore said. “And John Ault, the warden at ISP, belongs to Kiwanis and he jumped in to provide the labor in addition to the Kiwanis members we have out here.”
And recruiting volunteers among the ISP inmates didn't seem to be a problem either.

“They had a guy there cancel yesterday and a waiting list of people to take his place,” Doore said.

While it was virtually impossible to locate and obtain the names of all of those working at various sites at the Ivanhoe Lane complex, ISP inmates working Saturday and readily identifying themselves included Charles Westbrook, Clifton Johnson, Thomas Gamble, Tyrone Mitchell, Jimmie Jones, Terry Larson, Robert Burgess, Sam Stephens, Doug Steel, Nate Washburn, Tracy Evans, Ely Williams and Blake Jones.

“Be sure to send a copy of this to the parole board, huh?” one inmate requested.

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