Norwood Lions Club Playground Fund Nears $20,000 Goal Following $5,000 Bank of Boston Donation-August 7, 1989

Following a year of dedicated community fundraising by the Lions Club, Norwood’s young children are on the cusp of getting a brand-new, state-of-the-art “tot lot” playground—and local adults will soon have the chance to help build it with their own hands. A generous $5,000 donation from the Bank of Boston has catapulted the playground fund to within just $55 of its ambitious $20,000 financial goal. Dr. Thomas A. Couch, who spearheaded the fundraising initiative for the Norwood Lions Club, announced that he ordered all of the specialized playground equipment the moment he learned of the bank’s contribution.

Designed specifically for toddlers and young children ages 2 to 5—a demographic often overlooked by traditional parks geared toward kids 10 and older—the new play area will occupy a town-donated, pie-shaped tract of land on Bond Street situated between Washington Street and Walpole Street. The modern installation features an extra-wide slide engineered to prevent accidents, belt and tire swings equipped with safety straps for special needs children, a wooden plank suspension bridge, plastic bouncing animals on springs, and two interactive “steam shovels” allowing kids to scoop and move sand via operational levers. Beyond the fenced play zone, the site includes an open grassy field intended for recreational softball and baseball.

While the equipment purchases consumed nearly all funds raised to date, additional donations remain urgently needed to finance a protective perimeter fence. The tot lot concept originated over a year ago after the Willett School-based early childhood program—serving underprivileged children and youngsters from non-English-speaking families—was denied a grant for a dedicated play area. Town officials subsequently stepped in, agreeing to donate the Bond Street parcel, provide liability insurance, and handle ongoing maintenance through the Recreation Department. Dr. Couch, heavily involved with the early childhood program, enlisted the Lions Club to sponsor the campaign in exchange for naming rights.

Construction is tentatively scheduled for September 16, with Dr. Couch calling on local residents to volunteer for the community build under the direction of an equipment company foreman. Additionally, organizers are seeking creative name suggestions for the park; while originally dubbed “The Norwood Lions’ Tot Lot,” Town Manager John Carroll humorously suggested “Lions’ Den.” Interested volunteers can contact Patti Dundulis, while donations and naming ideas can be mailed to the Norwood Lions Club c/o Dr. Thomas A. Couch at Chestnut Green, 470 Washington St.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger