Youngs Creek Park Pickleball Lights: The pickleball courts at Youngs Creek Park in Franklin now have new lights, thanks to the work of the Franklin Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council. On Monday, city leaders, local businesses, and community members celebrated the project that will let people play pickleball after dark for the first time.
The idea started last year when the council, made up of Franklin Community High School students, chose adding lights as their community project. The group worked with Mayor Steve Barnett and city departments to plan the project and get it approved.
Young Leaders Lead the Effort
Reagan Hunter, a member of the council, said,
“It’s a full-circle moment, seeing the original idea and then being able to see the people playing with the lights on.”
Marnie Moore, last year’s council president, explained,
“We heard from different people in the community who liked the idea of being able to expand on pickleball in our community, since everyone seems to love it so much. This was a project we knew we could pursue.”
The youth council raised much of the money needed, about $150,000 in total. They held a pickleball tournament last September, but most funding came from donations by local companies.
Businesses and City Helped Make It Happen
Huston Electric gave materials and labor to install the lights. Kelli Huston, owner of Huston Electric, said,
“We believe really strongly in helping the community. The community has supported our family-owned business, so this was definitely a neat project to be involved in.”
Pink Lady Contracting provided boring and underground work. Brooke Hamilton, owner of Pink Lady Contracting, said,
“I grew up in Franklin and got to go to some of the older parks here. I wanted to bring life to a new game that’s everywhere now and give back to my stomping grounds.”
City street and parks departments also helped.
Ribbon Cutting and Celebration
On Monday morning, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the project’s completion. Children from the Franklin Parks and Recreation Kickapoo Kids Camp quickly took to the courts to play under the new lights.
Rosie Chambers, president and CEO of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, shared,
“We know how important it is to have that quality of place we talk about — the live, work and play. This is definitely a fun place to play, but we also know a lot of work went into it.”
Jon Huston, CEO of Huston Electric, added,
“Seeing the kids out here right now really wraps it up. I was here last night, late at night, and there were a lot of kids out here playing. It was great. I grew up in this community, and you just didn’t use the parks here 30 years ago.”
A Bright Future for Pickleball in Franklin
The project shows how youth and adults can work together to improve the community. With the lights now installed, more people can enjoy pickleball in Franklin, even after sunset. The courts are expected to become an even more popular spot for players of all ages.
News in Brief: Youngs Creek Park Pickleball Lights
Franklin’s Youngs Creek Park pickleball courts now have lights, thanks to the Franklin Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council and help from local businesses. The project cost about $150,000. City leaders believe the new lights will make the courts a popular place for evening play and community gatherings.
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