ELLENVILLE – It's finally almost here: the Ellenville Playground Project's years of effort to create a playground for the community's kids is about to come to fruition, as the build week will begin on Wednesday, June 10, spanning all the way until Sunday, June 14. But it won't happen without some more help from the community — the committee still needs residents of Ellenville and Wawarsing to come down to the Berme Road Park and volunteer their time.

"We need a lot more volunteers," says Fawn Morosky, who has been one of the people spearheading the committee's efforts over the last two years or so. "We need everybody in Ellenville who has a free day, or free time, or, like, a free hour to come down and help us build the playground. It's imperative. It has to be that way — it can't be any other way. It really can't!"

Morosky says that the committee will need a hundred-or-so volunteers for the first day of the build, and plenty more each day afterward.

"We've broken the day into shifts. The build starts on Wednesday, and it's three shifts that someone can sign up for. It's 8 until noon, and then from 1 until 5, and then from 5 until 9. That's going to be the shifts from Wednesday until Sunday, and people can sign up and come when they can."

As to what's required of the volunteers, Morosky is adamant that everyone is invited to participate.

"They don't have to be able-bodied — there's tons of stuff. There's childcare, we need people to help watch kids. We need people to help serve food; we need people just to paint. We need people to sort things, like all these screws and nails…there's going to be a job for everybody who shows up."

In addition, the committee is asking for the use of volunteers' tools, which will be returned at the end of the build-week.

"They will be returned in perfectly fine condition," she says. "And if they are not returned in perfectly fine condition, for some reason, then they will be replaced at no expense to the owner." As for what's needed, Morosky says there's an extensive list of tools needed, like power saws, hammers (lots of hammers), and even, of all things, a crane. As to where they may be able to get the loan of a crane from, though…

"That's what we're trying to figure out right now. Who has one? And who will let us use it by next week?

"We called the town's highway department, and they're going to let us use some of their stuff," she continues, adding that local contractors and construction company representatives like Mike Mansfield and Alan Eisman will also be contributing their services and time. But they still hope to see that final push of support from the community-members. "We just need the support of people in Ellenville. We need Ellenville people to come and build the playground."

To get to this point, Morosky points out the incredible contribution from her fellow committee member Karri Scott-DiFazio.

"You have to give Karri credit for all of this, because she's really pulled it together. Karri has been single-handedly responsible for getting all of the materials ordered and delivered to Ellenville."

The building materials and playground equipment are being stored at the J.M. Originals Retail Outlet store on Berme Road, as well as in the Village of Ellenville street department's salt shed, the latter of which is housing all of the playground's lumber and wood.

"She's really kept this together. I've been working outside in Woodstock, and I've been working all day and all night, so I haven't been able to devote as much time or energy to this as I have in the past, but Karri's really carried the torch."

Recently, the Ellenville Playground Committee received a donation of over $5,000 from the Noonday Club's annual golf tournament, and the committee has also been able to raise funds from the items they've sold in their thrift store on Canal Street over the last few months. Now that they're so close to their goal, Morosky can hardly believe that it's finally upon us.

"After all of these years, after all of this time, we're finally going to build it… it's really surreal," she says.

To volunteer for the playground build, you can call Fawn Morosky at 845-594-4509, or you can sign up at their website, www.ellenvilleplayground.com.

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