After years of planning, construction, and working under a quickly-approaching hard deadline, the Karnes City Park will be open and available to the public this Saturday, June 30.

Ceremonies are set to take place at 10 a.m. Saturday to honor contributors and volunteers, as well as to celebrate the hard work of everyone involved in the project over the years.

"Another page in the history of Karnes City is being written," Karnes City Mayor Don Tymrak said. "This project has been years in the making and would not have been possible without the unwavering support and financial assistance of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department."

Many large portions of the park’s development would not have been possible without the donations of time, equipment, manpower, and money from Karnes City and area residents.

"Evidence of the high level of volunteer involvement can be seen throughout the park, all of which was under the guidance and watchful eye of our city administrator, Larry Pippen," Tymrak said.

Pippen has been city administrator in Karnes City throughout the entire construction phase of the project and was the main number cruncher that presented a financial path to making park construction and maintenance fit the city budget.

Throughout the construction phase, it wasn’t uncommon to find Pippen at the park grounds. He has led volunteer programs, held town hall meetings, pushed contractors to finish jobs early, and held many meetings with the TPWD to negotiate needed changes to the grant.

"It is without question that his degree of experience and his intense drive to complete on time are two of the most significant factors that have brought us to this exciting day," Tymrak said.

Even though the park will be open to the public officially June 30, the work won’t stop. Several volunteers have plans to continue the development of the park and city leaders have said developments will be ongoing.

"It’s almost unbelievable that we’re coming to the end of it — knowing that we still have a lot left to do," said former Young Progressives Club President Sherry Sommer.

Sommer was president of the club throughout the park’s construction and one of the main leaders of the political charge to pressure city government leaders into supporting the project’s completion.

Now that it’s all said and done, it’s far from over, she said.

"Now we’re getting ready to start what I call ‘the hard work.’ It’s going take volunteers and members of different community organizations to beautify the park and complete it. It’ll take probably a couple of years, but there are still things we can do," Sommer said.

The park represents the work and donations of many individuals over several years of Karnes City history. The $1 million project is located at the intersection of Wall and Browne streets.