The Kiwanis Club of Pullman donated $25,000 for the construction and purchase of Americans with Disabilities Act-friendly playground equipment for Mary’s Park.

Larry Clark, a Kiwanis Club of Pullman board member, said the club is focused on serving and helping local children and schools.

“We’ve been raising money for Mary’s Park [for] over a decade. We realized it was right aligned with our mission,” he said. “It made a lot of sense to start saving money towards the park.”

Pullman Recreation Superintendent Kurt Dahmen said Mary’s Park is about five acres of land, which the Herb Neil estate dedicated to the city in 2010.

He said Pullman recently purchased two pieces of equipment for the park: a tree house and a train-themed playground. Dahmen said the new playground equipment costs around $150,000 and construction will begin either late this summer or early this fall.

Dahmen said the parts of the park under construction will be roped off but the rest of the park will remain accessible to the public.

He said the tree house playground will include bridges, slides and climbing walls, all of which are ADA-accessible. The train-themed playground will consist of engines and boxcars. Dahmen said he wants to eventually include interactive community gardens within the park.

Pullman Parks Superintendent Alan Davis said the two main playground equipment pieces were delivered two weeks ago, but the timeline for the construction of the pieces was pushed back due to the flood that occurred April 9.

Clark said the club is working closely with Pullman Parks and Recreation.

“We have a [club] member who is part of the planning group,” he said.

Clark said the club is involved with several fundraisers every year, such as partnering with WSU’s Cougar Athletic Fund by helping coordinate visitor parking during football and basketball games.

He said the club also organizes a pancake breakfast every year and partners with other WSU organizations.

Clark said the club is encouraging donations from locals in Pullman and will match the amount raised by donations up to $5,000.

He said some interesting features of the park will include a two-part zip line, a standing zip line and a wheelchair-accessible zip line.

“It’s really a one-of-the-kind park,” Clark said. “It’s an accessible park for kids of all abilities.”

Clark said the club will be collecting donations until the end of June. All funds raised will be given directly to Pullman Parks and Recreation.

“The park was built for the kids of the entire region to create a place that is both safe and fun for kids of all abilities,” he said. “We encourage everybody to give to Mary’s Park. We know it’s going to bring joy to a lot of kids for many, many years.”

Davis said the park will be completed by early 2020.

“We have a number of children in need,” he said. “It’s part of our transition plan that every city should have to make things accessible for everyone.”