28 | July/August 2018
G I V I N G
A place where military families
can unwind
BY ALICIA BANKS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW WONDERLY
A
one-time horse farm in the Arran Lakes
area of Fayetteville has transformed into
a woodsy park providing respite and
recreation for military service members,
their families and their friends.
In its fourth year, Rick's Place continues to grow, adding
activities and improvements to its 55-acre site.
"We work really hard to think about every family
member of every age – how they can enjoy a fun experience
with their family that gets them into nature and doesn't cost
anything," said Allegra Jordan, executive director of the
Rick Herrema Foundation, which operates Rick's Place.
While there will be a cost for weekly summer camps at the
park – a new offering this year – nearly all of its other events
are free, from Nerf gun battles to horse rides to community
dinners made with ingredients picked from a community
garden on the property. Other activities and offerings include
playgrounds, a shed filled with outdoor toys, swings, a zip
line for kids, a walking trail and fishing along Beaver Creek.
A cornhole tournament is planned in July.
