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 Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County Joe & Sophia Goforth Playground
Those who lived in Cleveland County up to 2008, had to know of Joe Goforth. He was the manager of the Cleveland County Fair from 1977 until he retired in 2005. Joe passed away in 2008 at 84 years of age. His tenure included many new and innovative ideas. He is survived by his beloved wife Sophia.
In addition to being the manager of the fair, Joe Goforth was one of the most active and civic minded persons in Cleveland County. He served on many board of directors and was also president of other civic minded clubs. He and his wife were very pro-active at their home church, Beulah United Methodist.
Joe did so much for many organizations and people in Cleveland County. You could not count all of his good deeds. Perhaps his most endeared organization was the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County. Joe loved this club and its purpose and dedication to the youth of his county. When it came to the Boys & Girls Club, he could not do enough. He loved what the club stood for and accomplished. To capture the essence of the man, you have to remember what one person said: “I know of no one who did more and helped more in Cleveland County than Joe Goforth. He was an amazing and dedicated man!”
A tribute, long overdue, is now in progress and with your help will become a reality. In an area 60 feet by 120 feet, directly behind the Boys & Girls Club, a memorial playground has been proposed. It will be called the Joe and Sophia Goforth Playground, to honor two of Cleveland County’s most deserving citizens. The playground is a great idea because it will be an active and ongoing memorial that gives everyone an opportunity to participate. No, it’s not a plaque or statue, it is a playground for 5 to 12 year olds. Joe loved these kids and what better memorial than a community playground for them to enjoy.
The idea of the playground began when Roger Davis of Playground Safety Services, approached the Boys & Girls Club to participate in a playground community build. This project is part of a training class sponsored by the National Playground Contractors Association International (NPCAI).
They will be offering instructions for contractors on how to properly build a safe playground, which will take place the last week of February, 2013 at Cleveland Community College. People from all over the Southeast will be attending. As part of the course being offered, they must participate in preparing the site and install the playground. On March 1st and 2nd the actual community build will take place. This is the time when volunteers may get involved by helping build the project at the club.
So how can you participate? It’s very simple. The estimated cost of the entire project is $36,000 with a retail value of almost $50,000.
Several community leaders are very excited about the playground and have already committed to support the fund raiser. Mrs. Susan Goforth Porter, Joe’s niece, is also part and parcel of the campaign. If you would like to get involved and support this great effort you may do so by sending a contribution to: Goforth Playground c/o The Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County, P.O. Box 2001, Shelby, N. C. 28151 or stop by the club at 412 West Sumter Street in Shelby.
The Joe and Sophia Goforth Playground at the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County (rendering shown above) will include: two square decks, one handicap accessible stair, one half-hex deck, one curved tube slide, one triple slide, three climbers, one climbing wall, one curved ring overhead ladder, one roof, two 3-bay swings with six belts, four 6-foot picnic tables, two 6-foot benches, two trash receptacles, four tether balls, 360 feet of 12 inch borders - four foot long, one handicap accessible ramp and 300 yards of engineered wood fiber safety surfacing. - M.A. Andrews
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