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It's that time again.

The temperature is on the rise. Baseball games monopolize the TV channels. Outside, the air is warm and humid while burgers and hot dogs roast on the hot grill by the pool.

Everywhere in Cherokee County, summer is in full bloom. But for a Canton neighborhood, one of the season's most joyful trademarks has been incomplete for several years.

"In the summertime, kids love playing outside," said Sharon Jones, who lives near the city's Burge Park on Burge Street. "But around here, they have no place outside where they can play. That's why I think redoing the park is a smart thing to do."

Ms. Jones, 66, is the grandmother of nine grandchildren. She says she wants them to have a safe place to play when they come to visit her.

"They don't like going to the park, so sometimes I see them playing in the street," Mrs. Jones said. "And I'm scared that they're going to get hit by a car."

Ms. Jones is not alone in her concerns, as Playful USA, a nonprofit organization formed by the city government, is leading an effort to renovate the park with the help of local residents and companies.

"We're trying to make (Burge Park) a space where children want to play and where the community can gather," said Nancy Serrand, Canton's code enforcement officer and chairwoman of the Playful City USA Committee.

The neighborhood has seen its neighborhood park deteriorate into a bleak area unfit for children to attend.

"Seeing what the park used to be, and what it's dwindled to now, it's just sad, because there are still children who want to go there," Mrs. Serrand said.

All that's left at the park now are a few swings and a steel slide, none of which are up to today's safety standards, according to Mrs. Serrand.

"The slide is made of steel," she said. "So it gets really hot in the summer, and the kids burn themselves when they go down it."

Mrs. Serrand and residents started talking about the need to revamp about year ago, she says. That's when she formed the Playful City USA Committee and began looking for funding.

"Burge Park is Playful City's founding project," she said.

On Thursday, the committee will conduct a workday at Burge Park. At least 50 volunteers from the community will make their way out to the park to contribute what they can to the building project.

"I'm completely amazed by this community's generosity," Mrs. Serrand said. "With the economy so bad, I didn't expect this much."

The committee raised $5,000 in city SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) revenues and donations and also has collected many in-kind gifts of supplies.

Volunteers will install a new swing sets, a privacy fence, a caterpillar-shaped tire play structure, grill pits, picnic tables and a wooden path called Imagination Walkway. The plan is to finish all of the work in one day.

"You buy one swing set and half of that $5,000 is gone," Mrs. Serrand said. "So we had to figure out ways to make that money go a long way. Basically, I'd just look people in the eye and say 'I don't have any money. I need help,' and they did."

Donations have come from groups including the Canton Fire Department, Sherwin-Williams in Canton, Scouts Landscaping Co. in Canton, Mauldin's Towing Co. in Canton and The Home Depot, which is sending Team Depot volunteers to help.

"We've had almost a dozen companies from around Canton chip in," Mrs. Serrand said. "People just have come out of nowhere to donate and be involved. It's been heartwarming."

The community-wide effort has the support of the Canton City Council, which on Thursday approved the purchase of less than one acre on Burge Street for $17,331 to expand the park.

Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood commended city staff and community volunteers for their hard work on the project.

"The park has been in need of attention for a long time," he said. "Recreation, particularly for children, is extremely important. I'm glad to see the volunteers doing such good work."

kjones@cherokeetribune.com

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