Grenada PTA students redo Duck Hill playground A service project for Duck Hill playground is being spearheaded by the Holmes Community College Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) students on the Grenada Campus. The incoming freshmen select a service project during their first summer as an annual tradition. The Holmes PTA students are responsible for finding the area of need within the surrounding communities then voting as a class to confirm the project. The class is also responsible for the complete fund raising of the project and to see the project through to completion.
This year, the Holmes PTA class has chosen to revamp the Duck Hill playground just off of Highway 51 behind the Regions Bank. The students selected this project as one of their class members, Ashlyn Bloom, is from Duck Hill. Bloom has a young child whom she would like to take somewhere that is safe and clean to play, and this playground needs some care to meet the local community’s needs. Bloom mentioned the location to her class when they were in the beginning stages of selecting their community service project.
The Holmes PTA class voted on this service project mid-June because they wanted the kids in Duck Hill to have a safe place to play. At the end of June the class met with the mayor of Duck Hill, Joey Cooley, whom passed the process along to the Board of Alderman from Duck Hill. The Holmes PTA class received approval for the project on July 10 from the Board of Alderman.
The Holmes PTA class of 2021 hit the ground running on the fundraising efforts. A raffle was set up and tickets were sold for $5 or $20 for five tickets. On July 15, the Holmes PTA class drew the winner though a live Facebook drawing and the winner was Leslie Black of Grenada. Through the raffle, she won a package including two pieces of McCarty Pottery, a candle from Whimsical Soaps and Candles and some cute Holmes merchandise. The initial fundraiser raised $2755 for the Duck Hill playground project. All the funds will go toward supplies and equipment for them to improve the park/playground.
On July 31, Holmes PTA class held their first work day on the playground. They cleaned and prepped the tennis court for painting, fixed broken playground equipment and stripped equipment for maintenance. Their next work day is planned for Aug. 15. On these future work days they are planning to paint the tennis court and finish the work on the playground equipment. They are also looking to add tables, benches and possibly a walking trail to the area for the community to enjoy. This walking trail would be essential for keeping the community safe and enabling walkers to enjoy their time outdoors.
Local businesses including Homefront and Lindley Brothers Construction are teaming up with the Holmes PTA class to help them successfully complete the project. Additionally, Sherwin Williams of Grenada has graciously donated supplies to the project and the Friends of the Library in Duck Hill has offered to donate funds toward the walking trail.
The students involved in this project are Jerad Hunt (Cleveland), Karsten Denton (Calhoun City), Tabby Byars (Carrollton), Rebecca Christian (Greenwood), Lindsey McLellan (Winona), Allie Dunn (Carrollton), Katie Pugh (Carrollton), Ashlyn Bloom (Duck Hill), Derek Williford (Flowood), Savanna Gore (Mathiston) and Shelby Ballard (Mantee).
In the past the Holmes PTA class has rehabbed playgrounds in Grenada, bought IPads for the Boys and Girls Club, held food and coat drives for the Grenada food pantry, provided volunteer assistance for the Grenada city fields (including panting/cleaning/building) and held activity drives for the boys and girls club.
The contact for this project is Jerad Hunt (thunt5@student.holmescc.edu) and the class is still taking donations through Venmo: @Holmes_PTA.
Continue to follow the Holmes PTA class’s service project progress via Facebook @holmesccmississippi.
