News
Locos Donation Gives the Green Light to Dragon Construction
Aug 23, 2007
Thanks to a $10,000 donation from Locos Grill and Pub, construction began this week on the long-awaited dragon sculpture at the World of Wonder (WOW) playground at Southeast Clarke Park in Athens.
The dragon head and body will be stationary, climbable structures covered in a rubberized material and the tail will consist of a series of innovative play elements. The dragon will then be surrounded with a tricycle path to almost double the size of the current WOW playground. It is both a community art project and a playground, and will challenge children to be creative and make their own play. Based on children’s designs, the dragon is a project of renown industrial designer Ollivier Bonamy and artist and sculptor Stan Mullins.
Locos Grill and Pub, also a major sponsor of the first phase of WOW, donated half of the proceeds from the 11th Annual Locos Grill and Pub Golf Tournament held in May at Lane Creek Golf Course. Locos made an additional donation to reach the $10,000 level.
“We are so grateful to Locos for their long-time support,” said Kyla Hastie, Chair of Friends of Southeast Clarke Park. “Locos is one of the most family-friendly restaurants in the area, and they also promote family-friendly, community projects like WOW. This is truly a lasting gift to Athens-area children and families.”
Locos Grill and Pub and their employees are dedicated to active participation in their community and donate thousands of dollars each year to area schools, nonprofits and civic groups. This year, proceeds from the golf tournament went to benefit both World of Wonder and Safe Campuses Now.
The largest community-built playground in Georgia, WOW was built in March 2004 with the help of more than 1,600 community volunteers. Parents and grandparents all over northeast Georgia bring their children to WOW. The dragon sculpture was part of the original children’s design for the playground.
The budget for the dragon sculpture project is $58,000. To date, approximately $42,000 has been raised, including Publix Supermarket Charities: $12,000 grant, CertainTeed: $5,000, Plum Creek Foundation: $5,000, Athens First Bank and Trust: $1,000, the Bellah Family: $1,000, Bojangle’s: $1,000, Trinity Accounting Group: $1,000, and Wal-Mart (Lexington Road): $1,000. Industrial Mechanical Inc. of Watkinsville is also a major sponsor, providing more than $5,000 in labor and equipment. Home Depot, Lowe’s, and TUCCO Concrete are also donating materials.
Additional sponsors are being sought to raise the remaining $16,000. In addition, individuals can make donations. The best way to make a donation is to purchase a commemorative brick in the walkway that will lead to the dragon. Bricks are $100, and can include up to three lines of text with 16 characters per line. To purchase a brick or make a donation go to www.southeastclarkepark.com.
Friends of Southeast Clarke Park is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization, dedicating to working with Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services to help improve and maintain Southeast Clarke Park.
