Rotary Club and city beautify Wyandotte Park – The News Herald

One of the pieces of equipment is a nod to the Wyandotte Fire Department, which is located across the street. (Photo courtesy of WYANDOTTE ROTARY CLUB)

Wyandotte is a city full of history. By preserving the past and connecting it to the present, new visitors and residents alike can enjoy the city’s quaint yet modern aesthetic. A nonprofit organization has found a way to honor the Wyandotte Fire Department in a memorable way that will stay with the city for years to come.

At a city council meeting in May, the Wyandotte Rotary Club presented officials with a check for $30,000. The donation marks the culmination of a nearly two-year partnership between the city and the Rotary Club for a new fire department-themed park at the corner of 3rd and Maple streets.

Kaylyn Crane, president of the Wyandotte Rotary Club, noted that the scope of the project is significant.

“It was a really big project for us,” she said.

Many of the equipment in municipal playgrounds are old and outdated.

“We actually had a piece break in Rotary Park, and that really made us realize how outdated that place was. It was unsafe,” she said.

The Rotary Club approached the Wyandotte Recreation Department about this, and the city invested $90,000.

“It was a pretty big investment for the town and the biggest thing Rotary has done in a long time. It was something to be proud of,” Crane said, adding that the club raised the $30,000 by hosting events such as the golf outing in August, a euchre tournament in March and music bingo, as well as running giveaways and basket raffles.

The club is working to increase its membership.

“A lot of people don’t even know what Rotary is or what we do. We donate annually to other nonprofits in town like Shelter To Home Dog Rescue, Downriver Foster Closet, the Salvation Army and Blessings in a Backpack,” she said.

The club also enlisted the help of the Wyandotte Fire Department for the overall design of Rotary Park. The fire station across from the park has been renovated, and Crane praised the fire department and its firefighters for being there to help from the beginning. Since the park opened in early June, members of the fire department have been walking the street handing out stickers and badges to children playing there. To officially dedicate the new park, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house at the fire station across from the park on July 28 at 2 p.m.

Crane discussed some of the park’s accessible and inclusive features.

“It’s covered in rubber mulch. It’s safer, cleaner and easier to maintain. We have new all the swings. We have a new handicap swing. What I like most about it is that they put our Wine Dot Engine logo on the Fire Engine Playscape, aside from it being a fire department theme. So I thought it was really cool that they were able to personalize it for us,” she said.