What’s different at the park? The playground at Barkemeyer Park has a new look this week, thanks to the work of a Southern Baptist missionary team from Tennessee. (Jonathan McNiven photo)
HUNTLEY — Barkemeyer Park received some improvements this week, thanks to a Southern Baptist collegiate missionary group from Tennessee.
Pastor Stan Bricker of Valley Baptist Church said the group of 14 young people came from Soddy Daisy, Tennessee at his request. They helped Valley Baptist with its Vacation Bible School from Sunday through Wednesday and volunteered at the park Monday and Tuesday mornings.
Bricker said they picked up trash and hundreds of pine cones throughout the park, painted the doors and interior walls of the park restroom building, removed the shredded rubber from beneath the playground equipment and replaced with with pea gravel.
Steve Erb said he was grateful for the missionary team’s hard work. He said the park association purchased the gravel, and its delivery to the park was donated by Lonnie Larson. Pete and Becky Robison also donated the use of equipment to move the gravel to the park site.
Bricker said Montana Southern Baptist congregations have had past partnerships with Tennessee congregations, which is how he came to request a missionary group to help.
The team members will end their Montana week with a tour through the Red Lodge and Cody, Wyoming, area before they drive home, Bricker said.
