Helping out by having fun

Things were hopping Friday night at the West Concord Public Library as children and adults came out for the Pajama Party to support the upgrades to Lions Park.
The city is upgrading the park, including the playground, to make it accessible to all.
Friday night’s event was the idea of West Concord fourth grader Sydney Naze. Naze was one of the Girl Scouts who last year sent a letter to city officials asking them to consider making the park accessible to all youngsters.
The council and community members took the letter to heart and have been raising funds for the work. But Sydney wanted to do more and came up with the idea for the pajama party. Girl Scout rules about fundraising wouldn’t let the scout troops raise money as Girl Scouts.
So Sydney took matters into her own hands. She made the arrangements to use the building, worked with staff to plan activities that included a movie and saw to it there were snacks for everyone. Pizza was also provided by the local Casey’s. She was on hand Friday night with her parents to meet everyone who attended.
Looking over the large crowd of children and adults coming into the library Friday night, Sydney said she was just trying to find ways to raise money for the project when she came up with the idea for the pajama party. “I never thought it would become real,” she said, although real it was.
“I think it’s been going pretty well,” she said, adding that “a lot of people donated snacks.”
Early in the evening there was lots of dancing and movement going on although things settled down when it was time to show
a movie.
The party was open to everyone.
Sydney’s mom, Wendy Naze, said she figured that whatever money was raised would be more than there was before the party. On a Facebook post on Saturday she reported she was humbled by the turnout and the community support for her daughter’s project an all who attended.

Last night alone,” she wrote, “she collected 2,611.49. That wouldn’t have happened without all of you.”
The entire project is estimated to cost about $85,000, said City Maintenance Director Keith Clammer. The project is on track to be completed by summer with an official ribbon cutting set for West Co vival Days
in July.