MARSHFIELD – “Our group decided early on, when we first met in Leadership Marshfield in September 2024 that we wanted to do something to benefit children in the community,” recalled the group of Abby Meyer of Staab Construction, Lindsey Safford of Forward Bank, Bill Thomas of Prevention Genetics/Exact Sciences and Connie Michalski of Citizens State Bank.
“We specifically wanted to do a project that would benefit all ages and abilities. Before we even identified Griese Park playground as our chosen project, we actually identified a need for shade trees on the playground at Grant Elementary and planted 13 trees on the playgrounds there with the generous donation of trees purchased by Staab Construction, labor and equipment donated by Schalow’s Nursery to help us plant in October 2024. After we completed that project, we realized we should look to do something on a larger scale to really make the biggest impact for the community.”
They soon set their sights on Marshfield’s Griese Park.
The original playground at the park was a Leadership Marshfield project, constructed in the early 2000s.
“Dr. (Lori) Bents had approached Lindsey in our group about revitalizing Griese Park, as she led the original playground project 25 years ago,” the group explained.
“The existing playground is composed of aging wooden structures that are deteriorating to the point of being unsafe. The city’s Parks & Rec Department made it clear very early on that this playground would be phased out in the near future, with no real plan for replacement. This would mean Griese Park would potentially exist without a playground, or at least without a playground that was built to the same magnitude as the existing.
“We knew we wanted to build something even bigger to create that ‘destination playground’ feel that some surrounding communities’ playgrounds bring, such as Jojo’s Jungle in Wausau.
“After much evaluation and many discussions with Parks & Rec and playground equipment companies, it was determined that we would construct a new all-inclusive playground at Griese Park. This way, the existing playground could stay in use during construction, and we would avoid paying any demo costs, as well as costs for drainage infrastructure in that low-lying location at Griese.
“Additionally, because the all-inclusive playground incorporates ramped structures to allow wheelchair access, the footprint of the preliminary playground designs quickly made it apparent that building at another (larger) location at Griese Park would be most beneficial to construct what we envisioned.”
The group then identified an area to the north of the park — more central to the soccer fields there —that would “offer better visibility for parents/caregivers for both children playing soccer as well as children enjoying the playground.”
The spot is also at a higher elevation, which means it is less likely to require costly drainage infrastructure during site prep.
“This was also one of the only areas at Griese Park with a large enough footprint to accommodate the wheelchair-accessible design that we’d been working on for some time,” the group said.
The group established an account with the Marshfield Area Community Foundation (MACF) less than a year ago and started actively fundraising toward a $750,000 goal.
The playground design received final approval from the Marshfield Parks & Recreation Department in October, which subsequently passed through the common council.
“(We) placed the order for the playground equipment itself in November. We intend to place the order for park benches, picnic tables, etc., at a later date, once we have a better idea of site preparation costs, etc. In the meantime, we continue to take donations towards the new all-inclusive playground as tax-exempt donations to MACF- Griese Park Playground account. We also may add a pavilion at the new playground site if funds are raised to accommodate that feature,” the group added.
“There are two zip lines that have been incorporated into the design, one of which has a molded bucket seat with harness to provide security and support for all children, including those that are wheelchair bound and/or that have limited trunk stability. The main structure is quite large and incorporates ramps and transfer stations to allow inclusion for all abilities. There are also bucket seat swings incorporated into the new playground to meet these needs.”
Construction on the playground will begin in the spring of 2026, and clearing on the site will begin over the winter.
“We are so grateful for all of the support we’ve received from business, individuals and organizations in the community; we could not have done it without your believing in us and your generosity. We are four volunteers that had never fundraised on this level before, or anywhere close to it, and the fact that we have come so far in such a short time has made all the difference,” the group said.
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