PORT ANGELES, Wash — Work is underway by dozens of volunteers and professionals to rebuild the Dream Playground in Port Angeles after it nearly burned to the ground in December.
Each screw driven, each post leveled, is a step toward a new playground in Port Angeles.
“The grief was immediate, and I didn’t even realize how much the playground meant to people in the routine of their daily lives,” said Steve Methner of the Dream Playground Foundation, a nonprofit that oversaw the initial build of the park in 2002.
Five months ago, many of the community members that assisted in the original build watched heartbroken as the playground went up in flames. Later, they were disheartened to hear that a teenager was arrested for intentionally setting fire to the playground.
“Yeah, it was very devastating. I helped build on the last one also,” said a volunteer named Kathy.
In the weeks that followed the fire, the nonprofit behind the original construction was able to raise about $250,000. The city allocated tax revenue and an insurance payout helped fund what’s become a $600,000 renovation.
Not everything was lost in the fire. Among the salvageable is a huge piece of chainsaw art made more than 20 years ago, albeit a little bit burned. It will forever be a reminder of what was almost gone forever that day in December.
Also saved from the flames is a reminder of the children who were there when the park opened in 2002. Some of them are now hard at work.
“My handprints are up on the towers out there and my siblings were all just really little, we grew up with this park when it was first built. So it’s just kind of really special to be putting in the work to let future generations enjoy what I enjoyed growing up,” said Andy Methner, a volunteer now in his early 20’s.
Soon, the Dream Playground will be back, stronger than it was. It's an example of a community proving that good can come from bad.
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