MARSHALL– In partnership with the Marshall Fire Department and the city of Marshall, the Marshall Sunrise Rotary Club is helping raise funds for new playground equipment that will be installed at Liberty Park in September.

The playground equipment being installed consists of a fire truck with monkey bars, a slide, and various obstacles for children of all ages to interact with. The equipment will also be sporting new handicap accessible features. The sand underneath the current playground structure will be replaced with specialized user-friendly turf.

The need for new playground equipment was brought to attention by Rotary club member John DeCramer.

“We started talking with the fire department and the city of Marshall, and John mentioned the possibility of a playground project,” said Mike Henle, Rotary club president. “We all decided to collaborate on this project by each raising a third of the funds needed through hosting different events.” Other renovations have previously been made at Liberty Park, and the current playground equipment, which is a ship motif, is due for an upgrade.

“The band shell and the grounds were updated in 2002-2003, and that brought a lot more people to the park,” Henle said. Rotary club member Eric Luther also mentioned how the current structure is outdated.

“The current playground equipment has been there for about 15 years,” he said.

The first fundraiser hosted by Sunrise Rotary Club will take place from 8 a.m.-noon Saturday at the Marshall Fire Hall. Pancakes, sausage, coffee and juice will be served. Prices for this event are $20 for a family, $7 for individual adults, $4 for children and any child under the age of 4 gets to eat for free. Tickets are available at the Marshall Chamber and Hy-Vee.

“We want to really promote the Mayor’s bike ride that is happening after the pancake feed, too,” Henle said. “It’s a family-friendly, leisurely bike ride with the mayor that anyone can be a part of; it’s to show off the new bike trail.”

Other events to take place include a burger feed held by the Marshall Fire Department, which will also take place 5 p.m. Saturday at Schwan’s parking lot.

“Hy-Vee is helping us to do some fundraising in September by holding a special event sale for us,” he said. “There will be representatives from all three collaborating groups, and we’ll hold either a pulled pork or hamburger feed outside of Hy-Vee.”