The Rowan County Parks and Recreation Department will host a dedication of “Peggy’s Playground” at Sloan Park in honor of Peggy Stiller.

Park officials said Stiller will open the playground area in the ceremony at 2 p.m.

The new equipment replaces the original large wooden structure with slides, swings and other features.

The old equipment, which provided 18 years of service, has been replaced by contributions from the Hurley Foundation.

The foundation gave $25,000 for new equipment at the park. The equipment, called the Challenger Series, is manufactured by Playworld Systems.

Workmen spent three days this week installing the equipment.

Park Supervisor Mark Bonnell said the new playground will add to Sloan Park, which is already the “gem of the park system.”

Park officials pointed to the dramatic increase in usage of Sloan Park over the past five years, particularly by area schools.

In 1999, there were 168 different elementary schools using the park for field trips.

Schools from as far away as Morganton and Greensboro are stopping at the park as part of a field trip to the area.

Jim Foltz, director of the county department, recently told county commissioners that the park has become one of the most used in the county.

Foltz suggested that the county look at buying land to develop another park in the western end of the county in the event Sloan Park can’t be expanded further.