On Jan. 16, the Hocking Hills Children’s Museum officially opened its doors, creating an interactive space for children between 6 months and 10 years old and their families to learn, play and relax. Among the exhibits in the museum are a toddler-friendly soft play area, a water section complete with fishing rods and waterfalls, and a dig pit sponsored by Columbia Gas of Ohio with real natural gas pipelines – though they contain no natural gas – for children to discover.
The dig pit, which is stationed near the entrance of the museum, is filled with a sand-like rubber granule material that’s safe for children to play in and leaves less of a mess. It features Columbia Gas branding and is equipped with reflective vests and plastic hard hats for little ones to wear as they dig. They can play in the dig pit with trucks and other toys provided by the museum.
The dig pit was a true Columbia Gas team effort led by Senior Project Manager of New Business at Columbia and Hocking Hills Children’s Museum Board of Trustees member
Brandi Williams alongside Gas Operations Field Leader
John Rooker, Operations Center Manager
Scott Cline and Public Affairs Manager
Luka Papalko.
Williams, a Hocking County resident, knew the museum would be important for families and children in the area. So, she applied for and received a NiSource Charitable Foundation grant to sponsor an exhibit there. The museum presented a few exhibit options to put the funding toward, and the dig pit was the clear winner.
“We’ve had a mobile DIY dig pit that we’ve done at other events,” said Papalko. “We’d fill plastic pools with sand and some pipes, and it was a big hit with kids. We thought it would be an awesome opportunity to make it a more permanent install.”
R&R Pipeline joined Columbia Gas to sponsor the project. It was a perfect opportunity, as the company regularly works with Columbia Gas in southeast Ohio and R&R part-owner Cody Thoman is from the area.
When it came to installing the pipelines underneath the sand, Williams knew there would be no one better for the job than someone who works on Columbia Gas lines every day. Rooker and Cline needed no convincing.
“When I talked to John Rooker then Scott Cline, they were all in for helping and they were very excited to do so,” Williams said. “It’s cool because John is local to the Logan area, just like I am, and he has grandkids he’ll be able to take to the museum.”
It’s just a few weeks old, but the Columbia Gas dig pit at the Hocking Hills Children’s Museum is well-loved. Museum Executive Director Rachel Kallimanis has told Williams that the dig pit is already one of the most popular exhibits at the museum. Columbia’s support for the museum is also key in an area like Hocking Hills.
“I think it’s cool that Columbia Gas is supporting an area that is traditionally, for residents, pretty low-income, and is able to provide such a cool space for parents to bring their kids to play,” Williams said. “Traditionally, we didn’t have anything like this. We would take our kids to Columbus, Chillicothe; we would drive to go to these places, and now we have this place where kids can play and learn with their families right in our downtown area.”
Williams’ determination in helping create the exhibit paid off tenfold for the southeast Ohio community. She thanks Kallimanis and the rest of the Hocking Hills Children’s Museum Board of Trustees, as well as Rooker, Papalko and Cline, for their efforts.
For Williams, the partnership between the Hocking Hills Children's Museum, R&R Pipeline and Columbia makes sense. As a museum board of trustees member, Columbia Gas of Ohio team member and resident of Hocking County, Williams supports the collaboration 100%.
“For me, the coolest thing is for us to support our community – the people who live and work there – and to have something so nice for our kids to come and learn and play,” she said.
To learn more and visit the Hocking Hills Children’s Museum and its Columbia Gas of Ohio Dig Pit, go to www.hhchildrensmuseum.com.
Photos courtesy of the Hocking Hills Children's Museum
