Weyburn -- The Weyburn Therapeutic Animal Park board celebrated a new permanent play structure at their location, and had a number of families attend a special event at the Animal Park on August 29.
The WTA Park board started fundraising for the project in the summer of 2020. “We needed to replace the existing equipment with something that met safety codes and luckily we were able to find a structure that fit the look of the park perfectly,” said Carley Istace, treasurer. “We worked with Blue Imp for the actual structure itself, and Madera Playscapes guided the installation.”
To help with the necessary funds for installation of the equipment, the WTA Park board applied for various community grants, and received lots of generous support from local businesses, community groups and individuals that helped the board to reach their goal.
“Richardson Pioneer was our primary sponsor, with an incredibly generous donation of $15,000. Other donations of note were a $5,000 donation from Richie Bros. Auctioneers and a $4,500 donation from IntelliDrill Solutions,” said Istace.
“We also received donations from over a dozen local businesses, community groups and individuals. Jerry Mainill and A&B Concrete were also key contributors to the project, as they donated their equipment, labour and supplies to assist with the actual installation of the structure. We would not have been able to finish the project without their help.”
The 2021 season for the WTA Park will come to an end on Saturday, September 4, when the animals return to their regular homes.
“We’ve received lots of feedback that people are enjoying the updates to the park, so after the season wraps up this year, we plan on leaving the gates to the park open so people can still come and enjoy the new play structure,” said Istace.
The WTA Park board are currently seeking new volunteers to their organization, especially as two of the board members have submitted their resignation.
“Without the board of directors the park would not be able to operate, so we strongly encourage anyone who is interested in helping out contact us as we’re always accepting new directors and volunteers,” said Istace.
