10-year-old dream comes to life at Windmill Park

FAIRMONT, W.Va (WDTV) – Community members labored collectively to beautify their native park with lights to convey vacation cheer to everybody who passes by.

Back in 2010 Regina Riley set out to convey a Christmas challenge to her neighborhood in Fairmont.

She imagined turning an underused park into a spot for folks to really feel the vacation spirit.

Riley went so far as getting a allow to arrange a lightweight show in Windmill Park. Back then she didn’t have the assist to convey the challenge to life.

This 12 months was completely different.

“I really didn’t know how it was going to affect the community. When it was posted on Facebook for donations one of our former community members that lived in Florida sent a message to her mother and her mother gave money,” Riley mentioned.

With donations from the neighborhood, Riley was in a position to buy the supplies wanted for the lights.

Then she turned to one other neighborhood member, Dre’ Hodges to make the show particular.

As a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering main at WVU, he had the entry and creativeness to create gadgets for the show.

He mentioned rising up within the space inspired him to become involved.

“Like she said we’ve had a permit for 10 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Hodges mentioned.

His bosses at the Innovation Hub at WVU let him use their gear to make designs for the lights. He added with out their assist this challenge wouldn’t have been attainable.

Hodges mentioned he lower out the Merry Christmas signal on the identical machine that lower face shields for COVID-19 aid.

He added having the ability to put his personal stamp on the show was rewarding.

Riley and Hodges deliberate to increase the challenge subsequent 12 months and get extra neighborhood involvement.

Copyright 2020 WDTV. All rights reserved.