WRENTHAM — Town Administrator Kevin Sweet and Recreation Director Jeff Plympton are pleased to announce the opening of the new Jane D’Amico Playground at the William A. Rice Recreation Complex in town.
An official dedication ceremony for the playground was held on Saturday, Oct 31. The playground is named after Jane D’Amico, who spent 20 years as a member of the Recreation Commission and served as a fundraising coordinator for the Rice Complex.
“Jane is one of the original advocates for a public playground in the Town of Wrentham 20 years ago,” Director Plympton said. “She has also been very active on other committees in town, such as the Open Space Committee and Community Preservation Committee. She’s the type of volunteer that every town should have.”
The D’Amico Playground project was funded by $445,315 in Community Preservation Act funds that were approved at town meeting last year.
The Rice Complex, located at 54 Emerald St., has grown in popularity to become a premier recreation site in town for youth sports and local residents with approximately 20,000-plus visitors annually. With careful effort and dedication to a strong vision, the complex has continued to mature with the addition of a concession stand and a sand volleyball court. The Wrentham Recreation Commission furthered this vision with the addition of the playground on the site.
With the completion of the D’Amico Playground, the Rice Complex now has a high-quality facility that meets today’s standards for healthy play and accessibility for all youth.
The Recreation Commission secured a $100,000 in-kind donation from the maker and installer of the playground equipment, Kompan, reducing the overall cost of the project. The playground is an engaging complex that allows age-appropriate play in easy view of watchful parents. It is designed for ages 2-12-plus, and is located near the concession stand and the soccer fields at the complex. Kompan engineers and builds playground equipment to last 20 years.
“I want to thank the Community Preservation Committee for their support of this project and the Wrentham Recreation Commission for all the work they did to make it a reality,” Town Administrator Sweet said. “The playground is a terrific addition to the Rice Complex, which not only offers recreation opportunities for youths in town but also serves to preserve 80 acres of Wrentham land as open space for residents to enjoy for years to come.”
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