Clay Receives Grant From Tennessee First Lady For Hermitage Springs Park

Clay County will receive a grant to build a playground through Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee’s Tennessee Serves program.

Lee started Tennessee Serves, a charity that focuses on serving economically distressed communities. Director of the Chamber of Commerce Doug Young applied for the grant. Young said the grant would build a 3,000-square foot playground in the Hermitage Spring community.

“We’ve been struggling trying to get a park going down there for some time,” Young said. “There’s about 3.5 acres, and we got a good park started there, and we just keep adding to it as time goes along.”

Young said an elementary school is within walking distance of the location they want to put the playground. He said the playground would be part of a park.

“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Young said. “We’re always looking for opportunities for Clay County. We’re a distressed county. Anything we can do to add recreation or other activities to Clay County, we’re always searching for that.”

Young said he found out about the grant through an email and applied. He said he was notified by the First Ladies office that they got the grant Monday.

“We can never have too much to keep our kids on the outside playing and having fun whether it’s an organized athletic event or whether it’s just an opportunity to be out in the fresh air riding on a merry-go-round or slide or whatever,” Young said. “Just a fantastic opportunity for the kids in that community to have a place to play.”

Young said a meeting is scheduled with Tennessee Serves on November 29 to discuss the details of the grant.

“We have a lot of grants coming along that we are applying for and receiving,” Young said. “I feel like we’re making Clay County and Celina a better place to live, work and play.”