Holly Hummitch, director of the Winona Lakes Parks and Recreation Department and Senior Center, stands on part of the Limitless Park located near the park office. The park is constructed in such a way it is accessible to all children. Fundraising for the rest of the project is still ongoing.

WINONA LAKE — “Summer time and the living is easy,” so says the song. Well, not if you’re a town’s park and recreation director.

Summer is usually pretty busy and Holly Hummitch, director of the Winona Lake Parks and Recreation Department and Senior Center, wouldn’t have it any other way. “Just the mass chaos is the best,” she said.
Lately she’s been busy working on the Limitless Park program. The idea includes the splash pad, an idea suggested in 2011. Hummitch, who has been park director for 10 years, joined forces with three ladies from Kosciusko Leadership Academy who were working on a white paper project involving the park. She then joined forces with two other ladies who had an idea of creating a park that went beyond ADA capabilities so the playground could be available to all children regardless of disability.

“We see people from all over,” she said. “They don’t come just for the park. They come for the village and the greenway.” After the splash pad, the playground was the second phase of the project. Hummitch said it’s been broken down into four sub-phases.

“The fundraising is a continuous thing,” she said. She would love to see the Limitless Park done by next year. “It depends on when those funds come in,” she explained. She already has several grants she plans to apply for in the fall.

As for the changes in the park, Hummitch, a Winona Lake native, said, “It is so awesome. I grew up playing on this playground.”

In addition to her duties at the park department and senior center, she is in charge of the town events such as the town’s Easter egg hunt, the recent Fourth of July Festival and the Fall Festival.

The Fourth of July Festival is Hummitch’s favorite. “There are so many people, just to see the kids smiling,” she said. The day starts out with a May Team Triumphant, where a captain, or disabled participant, is pushed along in a cart by an angel, or able bodied person for a 5K race. “It’s a great organization that gives those who wouldn’t have an opportunity to participate,” Hummitch said.

There is also a cutie contest for children ages 3-6, a parade, family fun events in the park and fireworks.
Hummitch is married and the mother of five, two boys and three girls ages 5-14. All are heavily involved in sports and Hummitch spends much of her spare time attending their games.