Supermarket Sweeps

The renamed area, which encompasses 10
acres of the area that previously was Griffin Stadium, includes the
park’s entrance off Onondaga Lake Parkway, rental equipment center,
ball fields, the visitor’s center, skate park, Wegmans playground and
some of the lawns and greenery found around the area. A new sign, in
blue and white hues, will officially mark the name change, said Geraci.

Although not all the renovations and new
equipment for the area have been selected yet, the park plans to use
the money to add new swings to Wegmans playground and fix some of the
surfacing on the playground and skate park which has been worn down by
excessive use. Also, there will be beautification work done to some of
the park’s plants and flowers, Geraci noted.

Ann Hyatt, consumer affairs manager of
the Syracuse division of Wegmans, said her company agreed to help
expand and refurbish the park due to its overwhelming popularity in the
Syracuse area. It’s the only park in the area with an accessible
playground, which Hyatt called “a wonderful concept.” 

The donation also falls in with the
company’s mission statement, which includes a requirement to make a
difference in every community it serves. “We can only thrive when the
communities we’re in thrive,” Hyatt noted. Overall, the company has
donated $2.5 million to the Onondaga County Parks system since 1986,
said Geraci.

The Wegmans donation isn’t the first
time the grocery chain has aided the Onondaga County Parks system. Not
only does the store donate to the annual Lights on the Lake holiday
show (in part, offering discount admission with a Shopper’s Club card),
but its donations helped build the Good Dog Park, about four miles
north in the Cold Springs area of the park, in which canines can pee on
fire hydrants, run through tunnels, climb over bridges and slurp from
doggie-height drinking fountains.

The chain’s donations also helped build
the boundless playground in 2003, which features 70 percent wheelchair
access, equipment that accommodates wheelchairs and a rubberized
surfacing to make it easier for wheelchair-bound children and adults to
navigate through the park.

Although renovation and expansion work
hasn’t begun yet, the level of excitement about the donation hasn’t
died down in the county parks’ office. “We are absolutely astounded and
grateful for this level of support,” said Geraci. “It truly shows a
commitment to the community and doing good things.”

—Alex Kish