Maidee Smith unveils new playground at daycare
Published on Saturday, August 17, 2024, 9:00 a.m.
The LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce held a grand opening ceremony for the new playground at the Maidee Smith Early Care and Learning Center on Thursday.
The Maidee Smith Daycare on Union Street in LaGrange is a local facility that has served the community for over 70 years. Several of the grand opening attendees who helped bring the playground to the facility attended Maidee Smith Daycare as children decades ago.
The new playground was funded by a grant from the Callaway Foundation, which provided $300,000 for all improvements to the daycare center.
“It is a joy to know that we have had the support of the community for over 70 years. This is truly an accomplishment,” said Director Maxine Maddox.
Maddox said they were concerned that the ongoing widening of Hamilton Road would impact the daycare center.
“I thought it would be a little quieter this year because of the construction out there, but I thank God and the parents who come,” Maddox said.
Maddox said ongoing construction is one of the reasons the new playground was needed. The fenced-in playground allows children to play outside behind the facility without risking injury during construction.
Maddox thanked the Callaway Foundation and the United Way for their continued support of Maidee Smith.
“We are proud to be a part of this,” said Tripp Penn, president of the Callaway Foundation. “We appreciate Miss Maxine and her board. She has a big, big heart. She loves these children. These precious little people are the future of our community and being here will better prepare them for school.”
“We’ve been working with Maidee Smith since I started volunteering,” said Sharon Alford, president of United Way. “We’re proud of the love and care that these children receive, and when they go out into the world, we know they’re in good hands. And we’re just proud of this partnership.”
Maddox said Maidee Smith was founded over 70 years ago to provide a safe place for working mothers to leave their children. She has been at the daycare for 14 years.
“This is my passion, these children in the community,” Maddox said. “As a mother, I understand how hard it is to go to work and worry about your children. I don’t want parents to have to worry about their children while they’re at work.”
