On September 15th, I had the opportunity to volunteer and help build part of the new playground in Stewart Park. I was initially unaware of the project until hearing about it through Rose Scholars, and it was a surprise to me that so much of the construction had already been completed over the course of one week before we arrived.
Specifically, I worked on one of the structures towards the outside of the playground, focusing on details on the roof, as well as painting it. I also assisted the tool coordinator in organizing the shed for the final construction day. During this, it truly showed me what a large operation the construction of the playground was and how many volunteers had come out to help.
Overall, I really enjoyed this experience because I think it will be awesome to families and children visiting the playground, and I will know that I helped to build it with so many other people. I was surprised at how many people were volunteering to help build this park to complete it in such a short amount of time, so it is quite evident that there is a large sense of community in Ithaca. As someone who visits Stewart Park to study often, I believe I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on something that I will see being used in the future.