Community Enhancement Initiative

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A Dream, A Wish, A Hope…

It’s amazing how dreams can become realities.  It’s happening all over Siouxland and it comes from hard work and determination.  There is something more though, it’s feeding off one another for ideas, joining together for one cause and fulfilling the task.Boundless 001

At the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, we have been fortunate to be an integral factor in making these dreams come true.  One of the most fulfilling projects we were blessed to help accomplish was the Boundless Playground that opened up in November 2007.

The Chamber teamed together with area sponsors, Opportunities Unlimited and the Sioux City Parks and Recreation in a joint effort to enable all children to be able to play together.  There are just over 150 boundless playgrounds in twenty-eight states and two Canadian provinces. 

In Iowa, there is only one and Sioux City got it done.

Every year a community enhancement project is selected to be featured on our annual membership plaque.  Each member receives a plaque and with all the different projects that the Chamber has had its hand in the past year, the Boundless Program was the one chosen for 2009.

A playground is just a playground, but a “boundless” playground is truly special.  A boundless playground enables all children, of different abilities to play together including those with physical, developmental, cognitive and sensory disabilities and experience independent fun at his or her own ability.

Differences between a playground and a boundless playground:

1) Boundless playgrounds are barrier-free

2) Boundless playgrounds are configured to support children’ predictable play behaviors

Boundless 025This Community Enhancement Initiative was great to be a part of and we are very proud to have it here in Siouxland.  If you have some time today or this weekend take the kids out to this special playground experience.

Have a great weekend Siouxland!-Ian

“How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal, and you have to be willing to work for it.”
-Jim Valvano

2 Responses to “Community Enhancement Initiative”

  1. Stacie

    Maintaining the up keep of the park will keep the children safe and enhance the longevity of the play equipment. Is there a plan or anyone assigned to do regular playground inspections? Currently, the wood chips need replaced. The sand box is full of mud and water that attracts bugs which not safe or healthy for the children who access the park. It is a beautiful playground and is utilized often by a lot of families and community agencies . Most people are not aware of safety hazards when it comes to playgrounds, the maintenance of the equipment, and as well as the play area itself. Thank you for the opportunity to share. I believe the community will be happy to know the parks their families enjoy spending time in will continue to be safe as our city ensures it has regular inspections, maintenance, and up keep.

  2. Siouxland Chamber

    Stacie,
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. We agree that our community parks should be an enjoyable and safe place for children to play. The city of Sioux City is responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the playgrounds in the area and they do their best to make sure they are in good condition. Please contact the parks and recreation department for future issues or concerns. That being said, we took the initiative to contact the city directly and they assured us the sandbox would be cleaned out and replaced with new sand ASAP. It is important for both the Chamber and the City to have safe and well maintained playgrounds so that future generations can enjoy Siouxland.