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PORT NECHES — On Sunday the culmination of years of planning and fundraising plus weeks of work by an all-volunteer construction team will pay off with the official grand opening of Tugboat Island playground. 

The event is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at the park on Grigsby in Port Neches.

For Eric Sullivan the upcoming opening is emotional. Sulivan has played a large part in the endeavor as general coordinator of the project and one of the biggest supporters. 

“It’s very emotional,” Sullivan said when asked how he feels about the now completed project. “It’s difficult to try and put things in perspective in words. I can’t believe the community came back out to work on this.”

The volunteers totaled more than 3,000. 

Sullivan said he has had people thank him for the playground but the credit, he said, goes to the many volunteers who came out and built the park. 

He’s had a chance to see who children react to the site. 

“There was a kid out there the other day that had never been to Disneyworld., he considered the park like Disney,” he said. 

While the park was under construction there were some children who lined the fence looking in — this gave Sullivan a hunt of how excited children are at having the park back operational.

The celebration will feature comments from the General Coordinators Eric Sullivan, Chad Anderson, and Rita Morgan, as well as the Mayor of Port Neches, leading up to the official ribbon cutting ceremony and the symbolic passing of the key to the City. 

Attendees can look forward to a lively atmosphere with a DJ on-site playing music, creating a festive environment for families and community members to enjoy. This is a momentous occasion for Port Neches, and we invite everyone to come out and witness the unveiling of this exciting project, according to information from Tugboat Island Rebuild. 

“Tugboat Island has been a cherished landmark in Port Neches Park, and this restoration is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our community. We encourage all residents and visitors to join us in celebrating this new chapter for our park,” he said.For more information on the project, go to www.tugboatisland.com or the Restore Tugboat Island Facebook page.