MACKSVILLE – A dedication was held Sunday for the improvements to the Macksville City Park Sunday, renovations that helped mark the Stafford County community’s 100th anniversary.

The day included a community church service in the park followed by the noon ceremony with Shelly Evens of Macksville Pride organization serving as the speaker. Immediately following speaker was a meal and then a corn hole tournament.

“The City Park is one of the beautiful pieces of history we still have left, and in honor of the 100-year anniversary, we want to make it more accessible to everyone,” Evens said. “Our playground is limited and we added equipment that could provide play areas for children as well as updating for safety.”

Funding for the project came from American State Bank & Trust’s first-ever “Growing for Good” contest this past spring which Macksville won. It received $5,000 prize to help improve its city park. 

“The idea of the contest was to help improve a Kansas community,” said bank CEO Greg Quarles. “We believe that the best way to be a community bank, is to be a part of the community. We live here and work here too, so Kansas communities are important to us. “

The contest was open to anyone in the State of Kansas to submit ideas for how they could improve their communities. “We chose the Macksville City Park because they are celebrating their 100-year anniversary this year and we know that this park can really benefit the whole community,” Quarles said.

Macksville Pride, a local organization of involved citizens, managed the park improvement project. “It is wonderful to have partners like American State Bank that believe in community,” Evens said.