Anyone who ever met Ishpeming’s Ray Leverton would know how much the most recent salute to him would mean.

That honor is The Ray Leverton Memorial Playground, now open for residents and visitors to enjoy. It is located at Spruce and Euclid streets in front of the Mining Heritage Pavilion in Ishpeming.

“It’s a great accomplishment for our club,” said Anthony Bertucci, president of the Ishpeming Noon Kiwanis Club in a story by Dreyma Beronja. “Kiwanis’ mission is serving the children of the world and frequently Kiwanis clubs do playground projects. For us to be able to do what Kiwanis clubs do and get a nice playground addition to the city of Ishpeming really feels good.”

Longtime Ishpeming resident Leverton passed away in December 2021 after a lifetime of making his hometown a better place. A Korean War veteran, Leverton had a distinguished history of service in his community.

Through volunteerism and fundraising, “Leverton played major roles in keeping the United States National Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in Ishpeming. He also played a part in raising over $600,000 for the Carnegie Public Library in the city,” according to a previous Mining Journal article.

Bertucci added: “The play structure itself is a nod to Ray Leverton, who was a selfless go-getter in the city of Ishpeming and always doing things for the school children. To be able to both recognize (his) raised contributions to the city and its citizens, and create a lasting monument or legacy that will benefit children for years to come, has been extremely rewarding.”

The city of Ishpeming and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation partnered with the Kiwanis club to raise funds for the playground.

Bertucci said the playground’s total cost was $155,000, with $135,000 toward playground structure. He said $20,000 is still needed to put in park enhancements like sidewalks, picnic tables and park benches.

“We haven’t raised all of that remaining $20,000 yet, we’ve got about $10,000 more that we need,” Bertucci said.

Several local organizations have made significant donations to help bring the playground to life. CCI Systems, Inc, Cleveland Cliffs Inc., Eagle Mine, The Shiras Institute and the West End Health Foundation donated $10,000 toward the playground.

MEDC’s Public Spaces, Community Places program also provided a dollar-for-dollar match after the campaign raised $15,000 through the Michigan-based crowdfunding website Patroncity.

The Public Spaces, Community Places program is a collaboration between the MEDC, Patroncity and the Michigan Municipal League. The program helps Michigan residents use crowdfunding websites to support new projects in their communities. Communities, businesses and nonprofits can apply for funding at patronicity.com/puremichigan.

“(The playground) is a great addition to the city. The Lake Bancroft Park was already a very nice park and was an asset for the community,” Bertucci said. “But adding a play structure to that area ups that usability that much more. Now there’s not only the park and the pavilion but now there’s also a place for children to play.”

We encourage people to donate to the final portion of the park by directly sending the Kiwanis club a check at P.O. Box 604, Ishpeming, MI 49849.