A Sunday celebration capped off a week of heavy lifting, drilling and digging holes for Jeannie’s Place at Planet Playground. 

Initially, coordinators hoped to finished the accessible playground, designed for children of all abilities, by Sunday but six days of inclement weather delayed the build. 

“It’s been a great feeling to see so many people come out from our community,” Julia Null, the mother of Jeannie, said. “I can’t believe how much has gotten done. I don’t think I fully understood how intricate this was going to be. I mean, we’re building little houses pretty much and it’s time consuming.”

Lee Archin, part of the playground’s design team and co-founder of Play by Design, said that even in muddy conditions volunteers managed to dig over 400 holes for posts.

“Everyone’s attitude is amazing, given the conditions,” Archin said. “You’d think people would get testy and frustrated and have to re-do things or whatever but there’s a community spirit that volunteers bring to the space.”

Archin and the rest of the design team will return in March to finish the build – scheduled for March 14-17. 

The weather delayed not only the build but increased costs for the playground, with site coordinators asking for donations through the Community Foundation of East Mississippi.

“I think there will be plenty for everybody to do that week, no matter what your skills are,” Null said. “And hopefully it won’t be muddy.”