Alexandria, VA – It was over 20 years in the making but Gilbert S. McCutcheon Park is now complete with swings to complement the other play equipment on site.
A huge community effort spearheaded by Villamay resident and VCA Community Park Chair Steve Markle has now completed the original vision for the play area of the park located at 7509 Fort Hunt Road.
The effort dates from the original purchase of the property from the Lamond Family in 2000 and culminated in a ribbon cutting for the swings, the last missing piece of the original vision, on August 2 in the Mount Vernon area park.
Speaking at the ribbon cutting, Markle, according to VCA, said, “This 26-year partnership with the Fairfax County Park Authority should serve as a model. When we work together…if we need something beyond our capability, they help us get it.”
Praising his fellow Villamay residents, Markle said, “Over the last 24 years, we have put in 9,700 volunteer hours in the park, and we’ve pulled over 7,000 invasive plants since the pandemic.”
The Villamay Community Association spearheaded fundraising for the playground, raising $23,000 toward the total cost of the project in 2004. These funds were matched with two Mastenbrook Grants each for $10,000, but due to limited funding, the project scope did not initially include swings.
However, the community came together once again and raised $13,000 in just a year to add a swing set to the park. These funds were matched with a Mastenbrook Grant in 2023 and the $26,000 project was completed in July.
“This new swing set is a shining example of what the Mastenbrook Volunteer Matching Fund Grant Program is all about,” said Park Authority Board Member Linwood Gorham during his remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Thanks to the collaboration between the Villamay Community Association, the Fairfax County Park Foundation and the Park Authority’s Mastenbrook Grant Program, Gilbert S. McCutcheon Park now has a two-bay set of swings, which include both standard belt-seat model swings and a two-seat “expression swing” for a parent and child, where the adult and child are comfortably seated face-to-face at eye level with one another.
This unique design promotes intergenerational play and fosters social connection. “Fairfax County Parks play a critical role in our everyday lives – physical and emotional wellbeing, social connections and sense of community, and most important, an opportunity to spend time with family,” Supervisor Storck said.
“While it may appear to be ‘just a swing set,’ what this represents is more time that children and families can spend in the park. It’s another opportunity to extend the fun, to spend just a little more time together outdoors.”
