A local service organization’s dream of creating a unique play space for children with special needs is nearing completion, but there are still some final hurdles to clear.

In late July the TLC Community Center announced it would be creating an indoor play area for children with sensory issues and other special needs and asked for the community to help them complete the project.

When the project is complete, it will feature the play area designed to look like a park, a replica of Elizabethton’s iconic Covered Bridge and a tiny town. TLC Town, or The Little Children’s Town, will feature a house, a church, a general store, a bank, a school, and a veterinarian’s office. Children will be able to go inside each of the buildings and play with toys related to each theme.

The Center has now received donated funds to cover the cost of materials needed to construct the buildings and Covered Bridge.

“This was sponsored by Jackee Taylor Johnston and State Farm,” TLC Community Center Director Angie Odom said.

Johnston, who is a State Farm Insurance agent, donated $600 and to help complete the project State Farm did a matching-funds grant for an additional $600.

The $1,200 went to purchase materials for the buildings and bridge.

“We were able to get the materials at cost from Big John’s Closeouts,” Odom said.

While the materials can now be purchased, Odom said the Center is in need of donated funds and items to help complete the project.

“There are some extra costs not included in the costs of the building that we need to have covered,” she said.

Some of the additional expenses go to cover items designed to help children with sensory issues or things to help them work on both gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

One of the items the Center needs to purchase is specialized light covers which filter and soften the fluorescent lights. “That is a must for children with sensory issues,” Odom said, adding bright lights can often be a problem for children with special needs.

The Center will be accepting donations of new stuffed animals for use in the veterinarian office, which includes a special “adoption center” for the children. Some of the animals will remain at the vet’s office, but Odom said some would be gifted to children.

One gentleman who has supported the Center in a variety of ways is once again donating his talent, as well as some materials, to help with the latest project. Roger Dougherty constructed the wooden play equipment already in place at the Center.

Dougherty has already crafted several items of special furniture for the TLC Town, including desks for the school and pews and a pulpit for the church.

Other items needed to complete the decorations and play areas for TLC Town include old school books, a few hymnals, a bunk bed ladder, wooden picture frames (no glass), and silk flowers.

Construction materials which are needed include flooring material such as tile, laminate or carpet. Odom said they also need paints and it does not need to be full cans.

“Some of the spaces are just 5 by 6 or 5 by 7 so we just need small amounts of the paints and flooring mateirals,” she said.

For more information on TLC Town, or to make a donation, contact Angie Odom at 423-895-8601.