SOUTH POINT – With each turn of the head, children at the Lawrence County Early Childhood Center can now make a new discovery.

Thursday, April 13, 2000

SOUTH POINT – With each turn of the head, children at the Lawrence County Early Childhood Center can now make a new discovery.

After five years of planning, the final stage of the playground area is complete, center director Linda Sechrist said.

And it is thanks to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tri-State Inc. that the final phase of the playground could be completed, Mrs. Sechrist said.

"We got to add $21,600 to complete a portion of our playgrounds," she said. "The playground has been planned since we first built the building five years ago. We’ve had to do the playground in phases and this was the final phase."

Thanks to the donation of more than $21,000, center officials were able to build a bike path and add benches, a storefront area, truck and gravel pit and water play area, as well as other items, Mrs. Sechrist said.

"And this is important," she said. "Play is what we call preschoolers’ work. That’s how they learn, through play and interaction with children."

To show appreciation for the grant monies, which included $7,200 in local funds and $14,400 in national funds, center officials hosted a luncheon for Ronald McDonald House board members Wednesday.

The smile on the children’s faces was thanks enough, though, said Paul Smith, president of RMHC of the Tri-State.

"From my perspective – I have a child in daycare – this provided a wonderful opportunity to spend the money where it can benefit the most children."

The Ronald McDonald charity awards many grants throughout the year to benefit children locally and nationally, Smith said.

"We give grant monies for programs, like the building project here, or to supply educational materials throughout the Tri-State," he said.

In September 1996 Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities merged with the Ronald McDonald House to create Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tri-State Inc. Based in Huntington,W.Va. RMHC of the Tri-State operates the Ronald McDonald House, which provides a home away from home for the families of critically ill children being treated in area hospitals.

Through funds raised by national McDonald’s promotions and restaurant canisters, the charity provides support to other children’s programs.

In 1999, the charity supported the Huntington Ronald McDonald House with grants that totaled $15,000.

The charity also awarded grants totaling $31,400 locally and $26,700 nationally to child development and children’s organizations from around the region.