Even the flowers are musical instruments at Rotary Club of Jasper’s Peace Park/Children’s Music Park. The park is located behind the Pickens County Recreation Center at Roper Park near the soccer fields. Damon Howell / Photo
Submitted by Rotary Club of Jasper
Rotary Club of Jasper is contributing sweet sounds to the environment in the form of a children’s music park, complete with instruments that children of all abilities can play.
The park is the brainchild of Kay and Steve Lawrence (both former club presidents) and Don and Regina Martin (former district governor and president, respectively) after they saw an exhibit from Freenotes Harmony Park at the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta.
The club had been searching for a way to include handicapped children in recreation in Pickens County, and these instruments, set in an accessible park, provided the opportunity.
The park is unique and fun for all ages. Everyone can play the instruments regardless of musical training. The instruments are durable and sustainable with a 20-year life expectancy, and the perfectly-tuned sound sculptures enhance the outdoor space.
LEFT: Jasper Mayor Steve Lawrence and Kay Lawrence (both former club presidents), District Governor Tina D. Fischlin, Don Martin (former district governor) at the children’s music park.
The first donation came from Steve Lawrence to honor Kay Lawrence on her birthday on June 15, 2017. They sought additional donations, wrote grants and publicized the park. The first instruments were installed and the park was dedicated in May 2018. Additional instruments and benches were added in the fall of 2018. Concrete pads and a sidewalk for handicapped accessibility were added in 2019.
A sign to designate that the park was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Jasper was added in 2020.
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