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Lottery Money Improves Olathe Park

by KREX News Room
by Courtney Griffin

Story Created: Oct 4, 2012 at 5:35 PM MDT

Story Updated: Oct 5, 2012 at 7:41 AM MDT

OLATHE, Colo.- The Colorado Lottery has awarded a 2012 Starburst Community Award to Olathe for using lottery dollars to make improvements to Olathe Community Park.

The park holds community events and BMX for kids, and seniors can enjoy the outdoors.

Park director Darrin Scott says he applied for the grant and believes it's because of the community's support that they were awarded money two different times.

"The businesses' support, schools' support, the youth baseball team," said Scott."

The Colorado Lottery distributes to three primary beneficiaries, including the Conservation Trust Fund, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado.

Those agencies then provide grants and direct funding to parks and recreation.

In 2012, the lottery gave $123.2 million in proceeds to the state.

Since 1983, the lottery has returned more than $2.4 billion.

"Without lottery money, my budget would be nothing, so this helps us out a lot," said Scott.

Olathe Community Park now has fences, ponds and ramps for handicapped residents to go fishing.

"Colorow will bring their van and park right up to the ramp and unload onto the hard surface," said Scott.

Colorow, which is a nursing home for the elderly, has residents who cherish going to the park.

"I've never gone out like that and held my fishing pole out to where it looked like I might catch a fish," said Octavia Miller.

"Oh, I like to fish," said Bill Wallace.

Officials say rather than traveling to Delta or Montrose, they can now go fishing at the park down the street.

"It was an experience I've never had before," said Miller.

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