TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Himmel Park has a new attraction for older children and adults after the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association helped raise money for a new set of “big kid” swings.
For years, the park at 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. had swings designed primarily for young children. When an older slide and swing set were removed, residents noticed the gap in the playground’s equipment.
“We had no, what we refer to as, ‘Big kid swings’ in the park,” said Gayle Hartmann, president of the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association. “There were just little kid swings.”
Hartmann said the neighborhood association approached the city’s Parks and Recreation Department about replacing the swings.
“We felt it was important to get some swings,” Hartmann said. “And we talked to them about it and then decided we were going to have to raise some money to make it happen.”
The city agreed to split the cost with the neighborhood association. John Blackwell, the association’s treasurer, helped coordinate the fundraising effort.
“Parks was gonna pay half of it, we were gonna pay the other half,” Blackwell said. “So we came up with that idea, we put it into the newsletter, and by gosh! We got four thousand and five dollars donated.”
The fundraising effort came as the neighborhood association has continued to support improvements at Himmel Park, which serves not only the Sam Hughes neighborhood but surrounding communities.
“The people of Sam Hughes really love this park,” Blackwell said. “And not only Sam Hughes, but all the other neighborhoods use this too.”
The City of Tucson lists Himmel Park as a 25.4-acre community park with a playground, swings and play structures, swimming pool, tennis and pickleball courts, bocce courts, a fitness area, multipurpose fields and other amenities. The park is open from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Himmel Park also has a long history in the Sam Hughes neighborhood. The city acquired the original property in 1935 from Alvina Himmel Edmondson, who stipulated that the park be named after her parents. Construction began in 1936, and additional land was acquired in 1944 to expand the park, with a primary goal of creating a children’s playground.
The new swings were installed after the Parks and Recreation Department received the neighborhood association’s contribution, including work to prepare the site and pour a concrete base.
The Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new swings at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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