The proposed playground project at Caryville is to build an all inclusive playground that can accommodate children with disabilities.

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – The South Campbell County Rotary Club has several projects underway, including its biggest grant applied for yet, which would go to support the playground project in Caryville. 

According to Rotary President Rayma Daugherty, the club has submitted a $5,000 matching grant request at the district level. If approved by Rotary District 6780, the grant total donated to the Caryville Cares playground project would be $10,000. The playground project is to build an all inclusive playground that can accommodate children with disabilities.

The Caryville Board of Aldermen member and playground committee member Patrick Pebley said he and the Town of Caryville were grateful for the support of the project, which he hoped would be started this spring.

According to Daugherty, the Rotary Club should find out if the grant gets approved in the next several months. 

The South Campbell County Rotary Club is also participating in a Rotary initiative that’s happening this year on “Empowering Women.” Currently, a three member committee is being formed in order to identify and designate a project locally. 

The Rotary board also approved an International Service Project called “Heart to Heart.” Rotary has participated in this project the last couple of years. This year they have designated $500 to go towards the international project.

Rotary’s donation to the “Heart to Heart” program will either go to help provide clean water, beds and mattresses to a migrant shelter in Tijuana that serves mothers and their girl children; it is a female only shelter. According to Rotary, this project meets a need in the international arena and also fits into the Empowering Girls initiative. Donated funds could also go toward a project designed to help women build 28 cisterns that can catch and store rainwater (and also hold purchased water) to help provide water for houses and for some irrigation of crops during the dry season. 

“We’re excited we get to participate in this initiative,” Daugherty said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 01/28/2022-6AM)