New equipment for the playground on East Fifth Street near the Ahiska Turkish American Community Center is expected to be installed before the summer kicks off, Kelly said.
She was out-of-state on a trip with her family when she received a text from a neighbor saying the playground equipment looked “melted.” Kelly later learned that the playground had been intentionally damaged. Similar incidents were reported at playgrounds in Kettering, Huber Heights and Cincinnati in recent years.
The St. Anne’s Hill Historical Society immediately launched a campaign to raise funds to replace the lost equipment. Children from all across Dayton, not just St. Anne’s Hill, use the playground during every season, rain or shine, snow or 90-degree weather, Kelly said.
“It’s not tucked away, it was very high usage,” Kelly said of the park. “It was redeveloped with a lot of community heart and a lot of community funding. That was, I think, why it hit different for people, because it felt personal.”
The arson largely impacted the main playset, which cost $90,000 at the time of its installation. The cost of this playset is now $10,000 higher, according to Kelly.
Dayton will be covering the leftover cost to restore the equipment, Kelly said — around $30,000.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
A spokesperson for the city did not immediately return a request for comment about the playground project.
More than 790 people donated to the virtual campaign — and this was just a slice of contributions, Kelly said. Two large events — the Germanfest Picnic and Dayton PorchFest — took place in the days that followed the arson in the St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood, and community members pitched in thousands of dollars in donations to the playground project. And several local foundations gave larger awards for the playground.
“We were devastated when it happened, but it has been absolutely great to see how the community has supported us, and we’re so grateful for everyone who donated or shared or just has said a prayer for us as we worked our way through this,” Kelly said.
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