J.L. King Senior Memorial Park in Starkville should soon see some enhancements, thanks to a celebrity wait night and silent auction presented by the Pilot Club of Starkville. The city’s current mayor, mayoral candidates and a former Mississippi State Women’s Basketball head coach are among those who have signed on to wait tables from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 25 at Harvey’s in Starkville. The goal is to help the Pilot Club install musical playground instruments in the park located on Long Street. A set of chimes is planned for a site near the park’s splash pad. A vertical, three-dimensional water feature will be added to the pad itself.
Celebrity servers include Larnzy Carpenter, judge and pastor of First Baptist Church of Longview; Sharon Fanning-Otis, former MSU Women’s Basketball Head Coach; mayoral candidates John Moore, Damion Poe and Lynn Spruill; Eddie Myles, OCH Wellness Connection; Frank Nichols, police chief; Herman Peters, Parks and Recreation director; Linda Jo Templeton, former MSU employee; and Parker Wiseman, Starkville mayor.
Bulldog fans can bid on a Dak Prescott-autographed football, as well as signed Men’s and Women’s basketballs, a baseball and softball, along with other memorabilia and items from various merchants.
Clark Beverage Co. is sponsoring T-shirts for the servers to wear. Other funding for the project has been received from the SOAR Foundation, the Starkville Area Arts Council and Pilot International. Collaborating agencies include Starkville Parks and Recreation, the City of Starkville and MSU Music Education Partnerships (Bob Damm).
“The public is invited to participate in this event to improve our park system and benefit the children of our community,” said Ellen Boles of the Pilot Club.
The primary goal of the J.L. King park project is to provide children in Starkville with handicapped-accessible playground equipment that can enhance brain development. Research shows that music experiences benefit the brain by improving intellect and reasoning skills. The Pilot Club has also sponsored the Music Trail in McKee Park.
The addition of outdoor musical instruments to public spaces throughout Starkville promotes the value of music to everyone. Establishing Starkville as The City of Musical Play is a long-range goal of Pilot Club as it seeks to continue adding ADA accessible instruments throughout the park system and other public spaces.
For more information about Tuesday’s event or the JL King playground project, contact Allyson Leitner, 662-456-6406.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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