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After 40 hours of labor, nearly $8,000 in equipment and a little cooperation between a government agency and a service organization, voila -- Craig children have a new place to play.

The Rotary Club of Craig finished its first phase of installing playground equipment for a park in Shadow Mountain.

Refurbishing the park is part of Rotary Club International's centennial celebration in February 2005. Local clubs were asked to do something in their communities to commemorate the anniversary. The project will be accomplished in three phases.

Craig Rotary President Nancy Muldoon said the kids were ready and waiting.

"It was about seven seconds after we completed our installation and a half dozen kids were using the equipment," she said.

Muldoon said phase two would require about 25 hours of labor and will result in park benches and the planting of more trees. The proposed completion date is November 2004. The third and final phase is planned for next spring.

"In phase three, we place plaques on ethical behavior for a dedication ceremony," she said.

The Rotary Club is a service-oriented organization that is focused on improving people's lives.

"We promote peace and understanding through local and global service projects," she said.

Rotary is a volunteer organization with more than 31,000 clubs in more than 165 countries. The goal is to initiate humanitarian projects that address issues such as hunger, poverty and illiteracy. There are about 1.2 million members who donate the expertise, time and money to help people in need and to promote understanding among cultures.

Muldoon said the group felt the park would enhance the lives of the families in the Shadow Mountain Village area.

"It gives the children in the area a nice place to play and interact with other children," she said.

Four thousand dollars of the funds needed for the project came from the Rotary Club -- $2,000 from Rotary International and $2,000 from Craig Rotary. The remaining $3,691 came from the Moffat County Park and Recreation Department.

Rotary's flagship program is its effort to protect all children against polio with the goal of ending the disease throughout the world. The chapter is looking at the possibility of a trip to Nicaragua.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Rotary Club, the next meeting is at 6:50 a.m. Tuesday at the Golden Cavvy.