Special treatment for playground honoring Zahra Baker | People

HICKORY, NC (WBTV)- Final touches are underway for the ribbon cutting at the Zahra Baker Playground at Kiwanis Park in Hickory.

The playground was built with more than $200,000 in donations from citizens and businesses throughout the area. Work crews installed the commemorative plaque on Thursday morning, quickly covering it so folks could not get a peak before the ceremonies on Saturday.

One of the final touches underway was work by a Morganton Company, Protect It First, to spray all the playground equipment with an anti-microbial coating called "Sterile-Doctor."

It was designed to prevent the spread of colds and other illnesses.

"Once this coating is in place, if someone with a cold or bacteria touches the surface, the bacteria will not survive and won't be passed on to the next person who touches that spot," said Tommy Hennessee of the company.

The Morganton business recently was hired by the Chicago White Sox after the team went through a noro-virus outbreak in January. The company sprayed the coating on equipment in the training room, locker rooms and more.

Labor and materials for Thursday's work was donated by the company.

"It's all about safety for the kids." The coating becomes effective, said Hennessee, 15 to 30 minutes after it is applied and dries.

Ribbon cutting ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday morning at 11 am.