WALLOWA — Ground was officially broken Monday, June 27, for the bicycle playground to be built behind Wallowa Schools and plans are well underway for an Aug. 20 grand opening, project leader Ron Pickens said.

Pickens, a prevention coordinator and alternative school teacher with Building Healthy Families in Enterprise, spearheaded last year’s project to refurbish the Enterprise Skate Park. Since then, he became interested in seeing a similar project built in Wallowa.

He said in an email Monday, June 27, that the project — which is expected to cost $329,500 — has received pledges of $12,000 from the Reser Family Foundation and $10,000 from the Roundhouse Foundation to match $22,000 raised locally. The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners pitched in $7,000 and they have since received additional support totaling $2,000. Early on in the project, the Wallowa City Council pledged $2,000 and the Wallowa School District agreed to have the project built on its property.

Pickens said plans for the grand opening of the playground are coming together. Tony Hoffman is scheduled as a guest speaker. Hoffman is a former BMX Elite Pro and placed second at the 2016 World Championships in Medellin, Colombia, in the Masters Pro Class. Hoffman also coached Women’s Elite Pro Brooke Crain, to a fourth-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.

“His story is full of redemption as he has seen some of the highest highs and the lowest lows,” Pickens said.

Hoffman is the founder and director of the Freewheel Project, a nonprofit organization that mentors thousands of youths through action sports. Today, he is one of the most requested substance-abuse speakers in the country, traveling over 200 days a year to share his inspiring story with various audiences.

Pickens also said he is ordering and seeking raffle donations for the day of the event for those attending and is in the process of lining up food and beverage vendors.

He said there will be community partners, such as the Mountain Works Bike Shop from La Grande, Dusty’s Board Shop out of Walla Walla, Washington, and the Oregon Department of Transportation set up with booths the day of the opening. Building Healthy Families will have its fleet of mountain bikes and helmets for kids to ride the new facility.