The first few days by Helen Hoffman

Thank you for sharing!

With all of the people that participated in this project, I know there are lots of other pictures out there. We would love to post those on here! Please email them to Jolinda at jjlengacher@verizon.net. Thanks so much!

Fearless Leaders!

Dave and Lee did an excellent job of leading the charge on this project! We are so thankful for everything they did!

Celebration Sunday

These photos were taken by Dawn Bechtel - thanks for sharing these Dawn!

Let the playing begin! - Day 6

The Build - Day 5

Completion! - Day 4 & 5

Thank you Dawn Bechtel for these awesome pictures

The Tool Shed

Thanks so much to Troy and Tif Schwartz, Jon Yoder and Joyce McDowell for all of their hard work in the tool shed!

Miscellaneous

Time to Eat!

Every day Lois Meissner would ring the dinner bell when it was time to eat. And everybody put down their tools and ran! Not really - but they wanted to because there was such a variety of delicious foods served everyday.
Special thanks goes to Nelson's for providing plates, cups, silverware, coffee, soft drinks and water every day as well as Saturday night's meal!
Also to all the churches who provided food: Old Brethern, Old German Baptist, Wakarusa United Methodist, Union Center, Nappanee Missionary, Wakarusa Missionary and District #78.
The following businesses also contributed in providing food and snacks: Amish Acres, Grandma's Pantry and Raymond's Restaraunt.
Photos provided by Dawn Bechtel

Rain, Rain, Go Away! - Day 4

Day 3 - The Build

Many Hands Make Light Work! - Day 2 Volunteers

Making Progress - The Build - Day 2

Let's Get Started! - The Build - Day 1

Balloons for Lisa & Diane

Balloons were released on the first day in honor of two great women - Diane and Lisa. The bright colors remind us of the joy and laughter they brought to our lives and into the lives of the children in our community! That joy and laughter will continue for many years on this site as children play on the playground dedicated to their memory!
Photos by Jolinda and Dawn

Community Effort!

Day 1 just flew by with around 381 volunteers showing up to help. Several groups of students did an awesome job and worked hard including: Bethel College (80 students and a few professors - Lisa's daughter Chelsea was part of this group), Northwood High School's football team and Boys' Cross Country team along with their coaches. Elkhart County Work Release brought a great group of hard workers. And we also had a large group of teachers, school bus drivers and administration. Even with the rain, the playground began to take shape. We ended the day ahead of schedule and look forward to what tomorrow will bring!

A Beautiful Morning For A Beautiful Project!

This gorgeous sunrise picture was taken by Dawn Bechtel the morning of the first day of the build

Ready to Begin!

You've been flocked!

A flock of flamingos have invaded Wakarusa. In fact there have been over 130 sightings! Each night since the end of July, they've migrated to different homes and businesses! There is a rumor that these birds are easily bribed. For a $25 fee they will resettle in any location! The only way to avoid them coming to your yard is to bribe them with $50. Then they will provide you with flock insurance. These birds have then donated all of their bribe money to the playground project. So if you wake up to a sea of pink, don't be upset - it's for a good cause!

Our town

Brandie and Jon Yoder put together a video that played during the concert entitled "Our Town". It showed various locations and people from around Wakarusa. These are just a few of the pictures from that video.

Concert Fundraiser

A concert was held at Northwood Middle School to raise money for the playground project. Along with funds raised from admission, there was also a 50/50 drawing, a raffle with various prizes and a bake sale.

1st grader, Bryce Resler, had $1.01 change left from the book fair at Wakarusa Elementary School. He heard that they were still short on some funds for the playground so he asked his mom to give that money to Helen! Every little bit helps and everyone (no matter the age!) can make a difference!

Concert Fundraiser - Meet the Vocalists

What an amazing amount of talent our small community has! The variety and beauty of the songs made for an enjoyable night. Music was a big part of both Diane and Lisa's lives which made the concert even more meaningful. Vocalists who participated were: Brandie Yoder, Chelsea Lengacher, Mindi Martin, Jess Hawk, Martin Flowers, The Dahlgren Family, Becky Branch, Steve Hunsberger, Caleb Shaw, The Diener Quartet the Northwood High School Choir and the Northwood Middle School Choir. Thank you so much for sharing your talent and helping to raise money for the playground!