Despite COVID-19, it’s still been somewhat of an exciting summer in Eagle Grove. The new hotel opened, a new business opened (Red Head Tribe Logo), and there have been some major upgrades at Hewett Park. Only the latter of these happenings in Eagle Grove doesn’t just benefit our community, it benefits people more than 2,000 miles away…in Haiti.
The Eagle first brought you the story of planned improvements at Hewett Park in August of 2019. We told you that the old tennis court was being removed to make way for a new, larger, multi-purpose court. Work began last fall, and along with that project came a new fence, an improved basketball court, and of course, new hoops. The project was completed early this summer and has been enjoyed by many since Governor Kim Reynolds allowed the parks to open back up to the public again.
What makes this story even more exciting, however, is the fact that what many of us might have thought of old junk has been repurposed for the people of Haiti who are excited to have access to “new” basketball hoops.
After the fence and hoops were removed, Eagle Grove Parks & Recreation Director Zach Whipple reached out to Paul van Gorkum, executive director of GoServ Global. He asked if they might have any use for the old equipment before the City got rid of it. He responded with a joyous “Yes.”
On Thursday, July 2, a GoServ Global crew, along with City of Eagle Grove workers, showed up behind City Hall and began loading the fence, a bunch of poles, and of course, the basketball nets/boards into a trailer. According to van Gorkum, they will be shipped to Haiti for the children to enjoy.
It’s nice to know that what was considered “old” to us has been able to be repurposed, providing “new” and exciting entertainment for young boys and girls so far away. So the next time you see kids at Hewett Park enjoying a friendly game of basketball, smile, because you know there are kids in Haiti doing the same thing thanks to the forethinking of Eagle Grove people.
