Sunshine welcomed the Washington Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Monday as they celebrated the first anniversary of a local amenity.

Washington city officials cut the ceremonial ribbon at the Wellness Park marking one year of operations for the facilities that was a years-long project and included funding from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation, Wellmark Foundation, local taxpayers, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund, U.S. Soccer Foundation, Kansas City Royals Charities, and Minnesota Twins Community Fund. Parks Superintendent Nick Pacha reflected on the city’s achievements, “It’s just been a long process and it’s great to have this big lift done and have these fields. There’s still a lot more things we want to do with a playset, more pavilions, more restrooms and lighting for the soccer fields. A future pond with a really nice pavilion, more trails. Our 20 acres of prairie is planted this spring so that will come along. There’s just a lot of finishing touches that we want to put on it, but we’ve got an excellent start and it’s something the community can be really proud of.”

The park currently includes a baseball/softball complex, two large soccer fields, concessions/restroom building, sand volleyball courts, a paved trail connection to the YMCA and the Kewash Nature Trail, and a recently constructed pavilion in remembrance of the late Washington Economic Development Group Director David Collins, sponsored by the Washington Rotary Club.