NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee and Gov. Bill Lee helped community leaders and volunteers from across the state build a new playground in Clay County on Saturday.
The First Lady’s Initiative, Tennessee Serves, along with the Tractor Supply Foundation, the Tennessee Titans, and Cleary Construction partnered with national nonprofit KABOOM! and Clay County government to build a new ADA accessible play space at Hermitage Springs Park.
Volunteers spent the morning and afternoon working to build the playground. The day ended with a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony and remarks from Maria Lee, Gov. Lee, Clay County Mayor Dale Reagan, KABOOM! CEO Lysa Ratliff and various other project partners and community leaders.
“Today, we saw many Tennesseans come together to serve their rural neighbors. It is my hope that this playground will continue to bring people together and be a space of joy, growth, and safe play for this community,” Maria Lee said in a news release. “From the beginning of our administration, I have dreamt of leaving something lasting in a distressed county that would bless Tennesseans for generations to come. I am so grateful to all of our incredible partners and the Clay County community for coming together to bring this vision to life.”
The First Lady’s initiative, Tennessee Serves, invited all eight of Tennessee’s federally designated distressed counties to apply for the playground grant. After reviewing criteria, Clay County was selected.
“We are so thankful to First Lady Maria Lee and each of the partners who have made this project possible,” Clay County Mayor Dale Reagan said in a news release. “This playground will be a true blessing for Clay County children, families and all the generations to come.”
In March, Lee hosted a design day in Clay County to hear input from students, parents and community members on the playground. KABOOM! took the input directly from Clay County to design the play space for the community.
“Playgrounds are where kids can experience the wide range of physical and mental benefits of play, and have the freedom to take risks, build strong relationships, grow, explore, and learn through joyful moments of play,” Ratliff said in a news release. “KABOOM! is thrilled to work with Tennessee Serves, the Tractor Supply Foundation, Cleary Construction, and the Tennessee Titans to bring to life the new play space at Hermitage Springs Park and ensure that kids in Clay County and generations to come have a vibrant place to play designed for them to enjoy childhood and unlock their greatest potential.”
This year marks the fifth anniversary of First Lady Maria Lee’s Tennessee Serves initiative, with this project marking the initiative’s largest scale project to date.
