Local Organizations Team Up to Re-Build Ocean View Park Play Structure

The removal of the play structure will leave nearly 5,000 Coastside kids under the age of 15 without a place to play.  The CMC and the Rotary club are working on a fundraising plan called Operation Ocean View to engage the community in replacing the structure, including a raffle at Rock the Block in May, bi-weekly raffles at the Farmer’s Market, an expansion of the existing hand-painted tile wall, and more. In addition to events, there will be an online fundraising component at www.operationoceanview.com allowing coastsiders, their extended families and even businesses to support this important community project.  CMC will also lead grant and corporate letter writing campaigns to reach the goal. The CMC and Rotary Club hope to raise as much as $100,000 by the end of June so that construction of the new structure can begin in early Autumn.

The City of Half Moon Bay is very supportive of a community-led effort for the design and building of the new structure. This will not only save money but will also involve the children in the process of choosing the new structure. The city is currently inviting playground companies to review the space and provide cost estimates. And three local construction companies (Brothers Builders, K C-D Construction, and Verdura Construction) have already stepped up to offer their teams for the construction of the new structure. 

About the Coastside Mothers’ Club
“We are thrilled that the City is as excited as we are to include the community and our children in the process of selecting and building a new play structure,” said Kristen O’Brien, incoming president of the Coastside Mothers’ Club. “This hands-on learning opportunity will teach our children how to work together to solve a problem. We’re so grateful that the Rotary Club, and so many others in the community, share our enthusiasm for ensuring that coastside children have a safe and fun place to play,” she said.

“This playground meets a vital need for the children and families of our community and so, following our club’s commitment to community involvement and Rotary International’s tradition of service that is ‘beneficial to all concerned’ as our Four-Way test puts it, the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay is delighted to partner with the Mothers’ Club to rebuild the play structure,” said Stacy Trevenon, president of the Half Moon Bay Rotary Club.  “We are excited to see the Coastside community come together to bring this to fruition, and welcome community support in our fundraising goals.”

“Ocean View Park has a long history of community support,” said Naomi Partridge, mayor of Half Moon Bay.  “The park was initially built by community volunteers and we’re so pleased that two wonderful local organizations have decided to continue that tradition.  Ocean View Park is so important to children from all over the coastside and we look forward to working with the entire community to make it a safe and enjoyable place for our children once again.”

Members of the community who are interested in getting involved in rebuilding the play structure can email [email protected].

The Coastside Mothers’ Club (CMC) was founded in 1992 by a community of families with young children.  In the 19 years since the club was founded, the CMC has grown to over 300 members who live on the coast between Montara and Pescadero.  The club offers Coastside mothers, fathers and caregivers support, education and a chance for socialization, friendship and fun.  CMC also serves as an advocate for mothers, children and families within the Coastside community at large. Additional information about the organization and how to become a member is available at www.coastsidemothersclub.org

About the Rotary Club
The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay has a long tradition of active and dedicated involvement in the community and in the world beyond it. It is one of more than 33,000 clubs that make up Rotary International, founded in 1905 in Chicago and now the largest and oldest nonpolitical and nonreligious humanitarian organization in the world.  There are more than 1,200,000 Rotarians, men and women, in more than 170 countries worldwide, united under the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” and its credo, the Four-Way Test. They strive to realize the defined goals of Rotary International to focus on peace and conflict resolution, youth, disease prevention, clean water and sanitation, maternal and child health, education and literacy and community development around core values including diversity, fellowship, leadership, integrity and service.  More information about the Half Moon Bay Rotary Club can be found online at www.hmbrotary.org.