Grant Brings New Playground Equipment to Holmes Run Park

Ameena Hijazi never considered herself a community activist. But when she saw the chance to improve a playground her children visited at Holmes Run Park, she ran with the chance.

A few weeks ago, new equipment was installed at the park, near North Ripley Street, through a project of ACTion Alexandria, the Childhood Obesity Action Network and Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria. The city’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities also footed part of the bill in a cost-share agreement. The new park was one of four beneficiaries of the Spruce Up grants, which are part of the organizations’ Project Play initiative.

Hijazi said she had to nominate the old Holmes Run playground when she heard about the grants.

“It was quite accidental, in fact, because I had just been talking to someone in the community association about how the playground was kind of blah, and this was happening, so I wrote a little something,” Hijazi told Patch. “And the nominating committee went out there and looked at the playground and decided it was worthy of the grant.”

Hijazi and her husband live near Holmes Run and have two children, a 3½-year-old boy and a 1½-year-old girl, both who use the new playground. “They’ve had a good time with it,” she said.

The Project Play Spruce Up Grants as a way to help residents improve local playgrounds and ensure that every child in Alexandria has a quality place to play. Tracy Viselli, ACTion Alexandria community manager, said the grants were a first for the partnering organizations.

“We really wanted to engage the public in the Project Play project, which was really to bring attention to improving play spaces in Alexandria,” she said.

The new equipment included a swingset, three spinners — equipment designed to let toddlers stand or sit while they spin — and music panels that play when touched.

“The key point is it’s equipment for 2- to 5-year-olds, because through this Project Play effort, we’re also trying to improve play spaces to reduce childhood obesity, and Alexandria has a high rate of obesity for 2- to 5-year-olds,” Viselli said.

Judy Lo with the city’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities helped purchase and install the equipment, which cost about $7,900, plus installation costs of $3,900.

The city received $5,000 from the nonprofit partners and funded the remainder of the cost through the city’s Capital Improvement Fund for playground improvements, Lo said.

“We have an existing capital improvement program for playground improvements and renovations, but I think this is one of our first playground grants we have received,” she said.

The program also awarded grants to Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy, Sunset Park near King Street Metro Station and Angel Park, located on Taylor Run Parkway.

Read more about the Holmes Run Park project in an ACTion Alexandria blog post here.