GREENSBURG, KS - After a tornado devastated Greensburg last spring, Spangles restaurant managers decided to do something to help.

The children of Greensburg lost a lot, so building a playground made sense, said Rene Steven, Spangles director of operations.

The playground will be installed today by about 15 Spangles volunteers at Greensburg's Sunset Acre Park.

The tornado left the park "with absolutely nothing there but broken down trees," Steven said.

The project started with the restaurant chain soliciting $1 donations from customers to help the devastated town.

One Wichita customer, an official with Specialty Patterns, gave $5,000. Customer donations ended up totaling more than $20,000 and have been used to buy playground equipment, Steven said.

Others from the Wichita area are helping, too. Cornejo & Sons is donating gravel. Star Lumber is providing timber for a border. Dirtwork Contractors is transporting materials. PG Playgrounds is coordinating the installation.

(Note: I remember sitting in a hotel restaurant, eating breakfast and watching the news stories of this devastating tornado unfold. There are some amazing photos of the damage here. To see the people of Greensburg and Wichita rally together for their kids at a time when they are rebuilding their entire town is really an inspiration. Amy Lee, KaBOOM!)