Optimist Park - North Fond du Lac, WI

The statement, "It takes a village" can apply to many aspects of society and is especially relevant to the birth of the Optimist Park playground. Youngsters from the area have a new playground to enjoy for years to come due to the collaboration of the Village of North Fond du Lac and donations from numerous bighearted area businesses, organizations and residents.

The exceptional playground that the Burke team custom designed for the beautiful tree-filled park space was the newly released Nucleus™. Burke created Nucleus specifically to build more variety into playgrounds, integrate traditional and fitness-oriented equipment, and make better use of limited playground space. Central to Nucleus is Burke's new KoreKonnect™ system, which uses a proprietary dual direct-bolt clamping system that allows customers to simply connect each platform to more components.

Nucleus is designed not only for strength and versatility, but also for ease of installation. The holes for the direct bolts are pre-drilled in the factory for precision, so park maintenance personnel don't have to worry about drilling them during installation and risking mistakes. During the community installation at Optimist Park, the playground came together much faster than others the team had assembled in the past.

Village decision makers were impressed with the fitness-oriented focus of the new play space citing concerns about the national surge in childhood obesity. They were encouraged by the innovation of the play components and how it challenges kids of all ages. Park planners also took note of the unprecedented Generations Warranty™ that Burke provides: Optimist Park play equipment is protected with a 100-year limited warranty against corrosion, deterioration, and workmanship covering the aluminum and steel posts, and all clamps, hardware, and bolt-through fastening systems.

The Village of North Fond du Lac provided site preparation materials, labor for planning and building the structure, and also coordinated the work. In addition, the village's park development fund was supplemented by financial contributions from area residents, organizations and businesses.