In January the Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Department will begin seeking volunteer help to install new playground at the park, part of an overall improvement plan to the city's three major parks.

The city gained a $15,000 grant for new playground equipment through the Kate B. Reynolds Foundation, a grant that requires $9,000 in matching funds from the city and volunteer help from the community to install, Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon said today.

The city will be seeking between 50 to 75 volunteers for a range of jobs — from taking down the old equipment and assembling the new, to helping with the borders and mulching the surface.

Citizens, civic groups, churches and youth organizations are welcome to participate. “It will be a community project so the citizens can appreciate what's been built in their community,” Simeon said.

The KaBoom! project is not the only improvement coming to Emry, Simeon said.

Through a capital infusion from city council earlier this month, there will be a complete renovation of the fields to expand its uses from only T-ball now to youth baseball and softball.

The $45,000 allocated for the renovation includes construction of a new backstop with wings, new dugouts, new bleacher pads and bleachers and a new scoreboard to, Simeon said, “Mirror the improvements done at Ledgerwood and Chockoyette. It opens up more possibilities to pursue tournaments that create economic benefit to our community. We're working with tourism to make that happen.”

Tournaments held in Roanoke Rapids over the summer had an estimated economic impact of $75,000 to the community, Simeon said.

Meanwhile the city has completed its improvements at Ledgerwood, with new playground equipment and a shelter installed, as well as improvements at Chockoyette.

For more information on the KaBoom! project contact the recreation department at 252-533-2847.