Rowley Properties, hotels give boost to playground fundraising

Rowley Properties, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites — all located in Issaquah and owned by the Rowley family — have collectively made a $20,000 donation to Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park for an all-accessible playground. The non-profit Friends group is seeking partners and individual donations to raise $250,000 of a $1 million playground. The Washington State Capital Budget will cover the first $750,000.

“Lake Sammamish State Park has the potential to be an amazing treasure. FLSSP has been working hard to help revitalize, embrace and activate the park. Their work has been inspiring and it is our pleasure to help them fund a new amenity at the park which will benefit our community-the Playground 4 All. We hope you’ll donate, too,” said Skip Rowley.

The playground is designed to be fitness-oriented and challenging, but welcoming to children of all abilities, primarily ages 2-12. There will be a 9-foot blue heron that will welcome visitors with a spraying mist when they pass by, a mushroom house for toddlers, a 17-foot climbing net, zip line, swings, rotating net, twin towers with connected climbing features, outdoor musical chimes to play with your flip flops, a coal mine through a mountain and more. The playground will have a hard rubber surface for wheelchairs, strollers and walkers, and there will be many viewing seats.

The playground will be located near Sunset Beach, the new bathhouse and picnic areas.

“Thanks to the Rowleys, we are at 80 percent of our goal,” said Debbie Berto, chair of the fundraising effort. “They have set a great example of what a community can do.”

A website is available for online donations, www.Playground4All.com. There donors can also track total donations as the goal nears. A private donor is matching the first $50,000 in donations.

It is hoped that all funds will be raised by April, 2016 so that installation can proceed no later than June. A Children’s Fair & Concert is being planned to celebrate the grand opening of the playground.

Photo:

The management team at Rowley Properties, Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn hold checks for Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park. From left, front row, Laurie Wilson, Rose Rivera, Lisa Shennum, Skip Rowley, Kari Magill and Holly Reichenbach.

Standing, Will Parkinson, Kristi Tripple and Lisa Rae Riley.