It starts today.

Renovation of the Oakdale Children’s Play Park, in Dorada Park at the corner of East A Street and North Second Avenue, is becoming a reality.

The park first envisioned in 1992, was built in 1993 and, now, 22 years later, is getting a major overhaul to serve the coming generations of Oakdale youngsters.

“This park has been enjoyed by thousands of families over the last two decades and is a popular place for birthdays and family reunions,” noted Renovation Committee Publicity Chair Linda Royalty. “It’s a place where buses stop on their way through town, and many of the Oakdale children who first used this wood play structure are now taking their children to enjoy the iconic play area.”

But through the years, the park elements have deteriorated, and this week is seeing the grassroots effort that first raised the park back at it; wielding saws and hammers, using elbow grease and contributing sweat equity to refurbish the park.

The City of Oakdale has worked with Playgrounds by Leathers, the original park designer, to develop the revitalization plan, added Royalty, and the reconstruction of the play park is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14 through Sunday, Oct. 18 with volunteers working together under professional leadership.

Specifics of the reconstruction are: remove and replace the majority of the decking with recycled plastic decking, remove and replace the majority of the hand and support rails with structural plastic and recycled plastic materials, and replace over 20 additional park structure elements with new modern features found in today’s playgrounds. These playground upgrades will once again make this play park the premier location for children to go outside and play, promoting an active lifestyle and encouraging children to move with creativity and imagination.

The Oakdale Rotary Club is serving as the non-profit fiscal agent for the project and will be responsible for the tracking and accounting of all expenditures. Several other community service organizations from throughout the region, in addition to churches, school and community groups are all getting involved, as well as local families. All are welcome to stop by the park during the renovation and lend a helping hand.