July 23, 2021
LUMBERTON A playground that caters to the senses is being erected in the Campbell Street community, an area that has been washed with flood and destruction by two major hurricanes.
Talking Rain Beverage Company, the maker of Sparkling Ice beverages, has teamed up with City of Lumberton Parks and Recreation for its second annual Cheers to You Town Beautification program, an initiative created in 2020 to give back to communities across the country.
The inaugural Sparkling Ice Cheers to You Town Beautification Program launched in 2020 to spread sparkle and cheer during difficult times, according to the beverage company. Now in its second year, the brands goal is to execute community-driven programs that engage consumers and create feel-good moments of positivity and celebration for unique towns.
When you think about the places where people congregate in small towns, its usually a park or recreational area. At Talking Rain, we aim to bring people together, and what better way is there to encourage togetherness after a year of hardship than elevating meaningful parts of the community, said Chris Hall, CEO of Talking Rain.
For the 2021 Beautification program, the brand sought out three unique American towns whose parks and recreational areas where in need of refurbishing, rebuilding or enhancements. After hearing of the hardships Lumberton faced after hurricanes Matthew and Florence, the Sparkling Ice team reached out to the citys Parks and Recreation Department.
We found out that you guys have been devastated year after year whether by hurricane or mass flooding, said Nina Morrison, senior vice president of Community Experience at Talking Rain and Sparkling Ice.
The citys Parks and Recreation director did not need much prompt to come on board for the project, according to the beverage company.
Were always looking for the right type of equipment to put in all of our playgrounds, and this will be the first of its kind for us, Tim Taylor said.
The beautification project in Lumberton will include the installation of a new accessible, sensory playground, located at the Campbell Street community playlot, creating a new area where children can engage in a variety of sensory activities.
Having a sensory playground is something city officials have discussed doing for years, according to Taylor.
Sensory play is really designed for special needs and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) populations but every child can benefit from sensory play because it activates all of their senses, and their experience is unique and special, Taylor said. You find that children generally want to interact with the equipment more so than the typical slide.
Four of the playgrounds apparatuses will be the Grand Gallery, an interactive feature that is wheelchair accessible; a Momentum Corridor, a rolling experience with overhead bars for children to pull from; Odyssey Hall, a sensory walking path with hanging flex treads; and a SpinAtorium, an interactive map that children can spin while listening to sound effects.
Its going to be different but its going to be vibrant. Its just so positive, Taylor said. I think people are going to enjoy it. I know children are going to enjoy it, no question about it.
Joy and positivity is something the needed in the community, said City Councilman John Cantey, who represents the district in which the park is located. The project will tie in well to efforts the city has made to rebuild and beautify the area, he said.
After the flood of 16 and the flood of 18, federal aid has been slow on getting our communities rebuilt. Were finally getting to see some type of activity that will enhance our communities, Cantey said. The playground equipment had been desolated by the deconstruction.
The councilman said its a blessing that the playground is coming to his district. Over the years the playground has been used heavily by area residents, but the equipment has remained outdated.
I thank [Sparking Ice] for coming into the city and taking on this project, Cantey said. Were happy. We need it.
The Sparkling Ice team has been passionate about supporting local communities from building accessible homes for veterans to providing clean drinking water for those in need, to recognizing and rewarding hometown heroes, and everything in between, according to the beverage company.
Weve always been a part of the community so giving back even if it was just product to communities and nonprofits have always been a part of our DNA, Nina Morrison said. Everybody thinks national but how do we really just give back to the communities and spread some cheer and celebrate and make them feel good? Thats where it started.
Playground construction is scheduled to begin this summer and be complete by the end of September or early October.
Once the park is complete this fall, an unveiling event for the community will be held, Morrison said.
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