Rodney Philippson from Chilliwack recently donated $40,000 on behalf of his family to add a small spray zone at the neighbourhood park named after his family.
In early 2021, the Philippson family donated a double lot worth over $850,000 to the city for a playground at the same park, which is named after their family. In June that year, a nautical-themed playground was built there to honour his work as a West Coast fisherman and his family’s ties to the marine industry.
The City of Chilliwack also added small water play areas called “spray zones” nearby. These are smaller than the city’s two main spray parks and have water features that run for 45 seconds when a button is pressed, while the larger parks’ water features stay on for several minutes.
Philippson’s goal is to give young people fun things to do and keep them out of trouble. Mayor Ken Popove thanked the Philippson family for their generosity and for helping make Chilliwack a better place. Philippson has spent decades supporting local youth as a Cub Scout leader and school board member. After moving to Promontory in 1994, he wanted to leave something special for the children in his community. He also encourages others to give their time and support to youth projects.
