After 20 years, Paulie’s Penguin Playground in Olathe announces this is their last year

OLATHE — The owners of Paulie’s Penguin Playground in Olathe announced Tuesday that this will be their final year after 20 years of showing off nearly 200 inflatables at their home.

The Christmas display helps raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“We feel a total break from a month of preparation, a month of setup, a month of run 24/7, same month of nonstop maintenance, week of teardown and a year of storage,” owners Paulie and Cindy Craig posted on Facebook Tuesday night. “Not to mention suckering our best friends in the world to assist and donate their money, time.”

The Craig’s say it’s time to find Paulie’s Penguin Playground a new home.

“We have been blessed since 2003 to be a tradition for many and fun for all involved,” they said. “The stories of multigenerations, the first date to engagement and weddings. Plus who could forget the busses, limousines, nursing homes, daycares and families that have made such a wonderful impact with your attendance, support and love.”

The Craig’s said they are still working out the details but are looking for a charitable organization with their own location and capability of doing their “20 year labor of love at their location.”

“We are trying to figure out the different possibilities, organizations, and location under consideration. This has been a very difficult decision but the effort, energy, time and stress have made it time to pass the preverbal torch.”