“It’s all about the kids!”  That is the message of Springfield Kiwanis as they celebrate their 100th Anniversary and dedicated the Springfield Kiwanis Children’s Garden today, to the city as part of their celebration.  Located in the Snyder Park area, the garden is the culmination of 4 years of hard work and much fundraising. Tasked with raising $119,000 for naming rights, Kiwanis began their vision with a Hollandia Gardens Association dream of finding a sponsor for a local children’s garden. To this day, Kiwanis, not only raised enough for naming rights, but exceeded their goal by raising over $136,000--enough to start a maintenance fund that the city will use for the upkeep of the area.

In part of 53 acres of the former site of the Snyder Park Golf Course, the Children’s Garden will not only be a lasting testament to the service Kiwanis has provided for the Springfield Community, but will also be an integral part of the burgeoning Snyder Park Gardens and Arboretum that will hopefully draw many visitors to the Springfield area. With the help of multiple donors, the Springfield Children’s Garden will reinforce the Kiwanis motto--”Serving the Children of the World”-- for generations to come.

The ceremony, led by long-time Kiwanian Carl Patterson, featured the Mayor Warren Copeland reading a proclamation, and special guests from Cargill, NTPRD, Master Gardeners and the OSU Extension, and Suntori Growers. The dedication ended with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.  While not totally finished--due to inclement weather--the garden is now officially open to the public for free. It was a beautiful, sunny day to celebrate this momentous occasion!. As a highlight, everyone there was treated to ice cream from Young’s Jersey Dairy and popcorn.