By Rebecca Walkup
The Robison Park Community Association was incorporated as an Oklahoma nonprofit organization in 2007. The mission of the organization is “to support the development of Robison Park, to support community development projects related to the Robison Park Community, and to promote future development whether economic or social for the Robison Park Community.”
Robison Park sits on 30 acres at the corner of Gulick and Augusta. The city of Muskogee purchased the land from the original owner Will Robison in 1916, and Edison School opened on the site in 1920. The school building caught fire in 1993 and was demolished several years later. Since then, the land has been vacant except for the lighted baseball field that will be part of the new park.
Since its incorporation, the Robison Park Community Association has worked closely with Muskogee Parks and Recreation to advance the park project. The Association provided information about the historical significance of the land during the initial planning phase and is helping to raise funds and increase community awareness and support for the project. Funding so far includes two grants to Muskogee Parks and Recreation from the National Park Service Land and Conservation Fund and the Oklahoma Recreational Trails Program. The Association played an important role in the preparation of these proposals by securing 14 letters of support from local schools, businesses, and individuals.
The Association also has cultivated relationships with local donors including the Muskogee Creek Indian Community Association and the Russell Ruby Trust and is working to secure in-kind gifts of labor from area businesses and residents. The Association is planning to submit a proposal to the Lowe's Foundation this year to fund specific portions of the project, and the Russell Ruby Trust has agreed to provide matching monies if the grant is awarded.
When the project is completed, the Robison Park Community Association plans to construct a walkway or monument in the park with the names of donors and supporters. In addition, members of the association are working to document the construction process from start to finish in photos and video.
Ground was broken on the park in early September, and although work was hindered by frequent rains, rapid progress has been made in the last few weeks of dry weather. According to association founder, Ivory Vann, two manholes have been installed near the creek that runs through the park, and the apron has been poured at the box culvert. Curbs for the parking lot have been poured, and the parking lot is ready to be covered with asphalt. All of the trails west of the creek have been marked and cut out, and the plumbing has been installed for the splash pad. Work on pouring sidewalks will be under way this week.
The park is scheduled to be completed in May 2010 and will include 6,600 feet of asphalt jogging trails, a pond, a baseball field, three practice baseball fields, a basketball court, a picnic pavilion, and a splash pad and playground area for young children.
Nonprofit Buzz profiles area nonprofits and highlights their programs and accomplishments. Reach Rebecca Walkup at 577-2675 or rebecca_walkup @yahoo.com.
