Logan’s Oasis Playground in Streator fundraising going well

Melissa Crank and her family are happy to share that their fundraising campaign is advancing smoothly, bringing them closer to the goal of bringing a playground to Marilla Park in Streator.

Named after her late son, the playground will be in memory of Logan Crank, a Streator father who died in an accident last summer.

Crank spoke with the Streator City Council on Wednesday and said the fundraising effort has gone well so far. She thanked the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation for setting up a fund for her organization and facilitating the effort.

Crank said the family aims to raise at least $75,000 for the playground and is confident it can reach this goal, having already collected more than $17,000 so far.

“We’re making good progress, so I think we could get there,” she said.

The playground was scheduled to break ground in the spring before the account from SRCCF was made, and that timeline looks to hold up after the recent fundraising effort, Crank said.

The design of the playground still is being formulated, but the original plans for the playground aimed to accommodate children of all abilities.

Crank said features such as handicapped-accessible equipment and an autism interaction area are possible, but it’s all dependent on how the fundraising continues to go.

For next steps, Crank announced that the organization will be hosting a fundraiser Nov. 16 at the Silver Fox in Streator.

The event will feature raffles, auctions and potentially an Indoor Taste of Streator, where attendees can purchase wristbands to sample food from a variety of local restaurants.

The fundraiser also will include performances by two bands, Abbynormal and All In, which have donated their time for the night.

Crank and her family are grateful for all the donations and support they have received over the past few months and optimistic about the future of Logan’s Oasis.

“We would love to thank them from the bottom of our hearts and say that our family couldn’t do this without them,” she said. “With a lot of determination and hard work, we will succeed and bring this to the children of Streator for generations to come.”