Congratulations to the people of Negaunee for the news that their community reached its fundraising goal for the Jackson Mine Park Playground.

The city of Negaunee announced Monday it reached its $50,000 goal for the project nearly six weeks before May 22 deadline.

The fundraising campaign kicked off in March through online crowdfunding website Patronicity. Campaign organizers had until May 22 to hit the $50,000 goal if they wanted a 100% match from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation through their Public Spaces Community Places program.

This is all part of Negaunee putting its Moving Forward economic plan into action — an attempt to revitalize and renew the downtown area, while providing opportunities for new businesses and programs to thrive in the historic city.

It seems to be working well.

The idea for Jackson Mine Park Playground is for the city to update the park to increase inclusivity so that every child, or child at heart, in the community has a chance to have an enjoyable experience playing outside.

Several new pieces of equipment will be purchased and added to the park including: large play structure, swings, Double Bobble Rider, Curva Spinner, Custom Mine Car, Saddle Spinner and benches.

Also, there are several new pieces coming to the playground which are focused heavily on accessibility for smaller children and those with mobility issues including a Revi-wheel accessible spinner, an additional play structure for designed for younger children, a Revi-Rock (which is an accessible riding structure), a Log Crawl Tunnel and additional benches/seating

The MEDC matching portion was capped at $50,000, but donations to the park are still welcome. In fact, donations are encouraged to maximize the city’s ability to make the park a destination for families and individuals all around the area. Anyone wishing to donate can visit www.patronicity.com/jmp.

We look forward to this playground’s improvements and are happy for the youngsters of Negaunee who will benefit the most.