LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The Lima Noon Optimist Safety City has a new addition thanks to a partnership between the Lima Rotary Club and students at Apollo Career Center.
A new mini Rotary Pavilion has been built to join the collection of structures at Safety City in Faurot Park. The smaller pavilion replicates the larger Rotary Pavilion located atop the hill at Faurot Park, which is used for the Sunday Concerts in the Park series sponsored by the Council for the Arts of Greater Lima.
The Lima Rotary Club partnered with the Lima Noon Optimist Club and Apollo Career Center students to bring the project to life. Rotary leaders said the pavilion will help enhance the Safety City environment while providing an educational opportunity for students involved in its construction.
Apollo Career Center students welcomed the chance to work on a project that will remain part of the community for years to come.
"They really enjoy to get out of the classroom and get out and do projects like this. And it looks really good for them to be able to drive by 10 years from now and say, hey, I did this. So it's a great opportunity for them," said Will Hedges, Apollo Building and Renovation instructor.
Rotary leaders said the idea stemmed from a desire to create a signature structure that matched the organization's presence in the community.
"We thought, how does Safety City not have a rotary pavilion? So we partnered with the Optimist Club. We bought the lot from the Optimist. We worked with Apollo to build this. Our district gave us some funds as well. And we created a mini rotary pavilion here in Safety City. We're excited because it's really all about collaboration and supporting these young kids," said Russ Decker, president of the Lima Rotary Club.
The project cost $7,500 to complete. Funding included a $2,500 grant from Rotary District 6600, while the remaining funds were raised by members of the Lima Rotary Club.
