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Zahra Memorial Playground Receives $25K Donation

HICKORY, N.C.,None — The organizers of the Zahra Baker memorial playground were presented with $25,000 on Thursday from the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The Hickory Kiwanis Foundation was given the grant to help fund the construction of the "All Children" playground for children of all physical abilities.

The playground will serve as a memorial for the 10-year-old Hickory girl who was killed last September and also in hopes of promoting multi-age and inter-generational recreation.

The charity also announced that all Catawba County area McDonald's restaurants will donate 10 cents from every Happy Meal sold in August to the playground.

"Giving back to the communities where we live and work is important to us as McDonald's owners," said John Link, a McDonald's owner/operator in Hickory. "We are proud that we can support this one-of-a-kind facility that will serve our community for years to come."

According to the playground's website, playgroundforzahra.org, it will have a surface that is injury-resistant while being accessible to children in wheelchairs and on crutches. The expected area of the playground is about 3,600 sq. ft., with potential for expansion in the future or currently, if contributions exceed budget amounts.

For more on the Zahra Baker case, please visit our special section.

Previous Stories: June 20, 2011: Man Behind Zahra Memorial Hopes It Will Keep Memory Alive June 14, 2011: Bill Inspired By Zahra's Death Now On Governor's Desk May 23, 2011: Charity Concert Raises Money For Zahra Baker Playground