Broadneck Kite Festival Getting Ready for Year Two

Nearly a year ago, Broadneck-area mom Kara McGuirk Allison successfully drove a fundraising campaign to revitalize the Broadneck Park playground.

That goal was achieved after a series of fundraisers she hosted under the umbrella of the Friends of Broadneck Park and from a generous commitment from Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks.

Among the fundraisers was Broadneck's first-ever Kite Festival, and though the group has already reached its goal, the torch is still being carried forth, only this time there won't be a fundraising goal. The second Kite Festival is scheduled for April 21.

McGuirk-Allison said Broadneck Park is a vital community gathering place, but the playground had been "broken."  When she first tried to get repairs done at the county-owned park, she was told that the county's hands were tied. They couldn't do repairs to the playground partly because the budget is tight, but also because the company that originally built the playground had gone under years ago.

A year of fundraising, and a few community awareness meetings later, the county slated $35,000 to go toward Broadneck Park's playground.

Read more about McGuirk-Allison in Patch's feature on her fundraising efforts.