Mom will raise money to build the handicapped-accessible playground.
By Andrew Maddocks
The Salt Lake Tribune
Chloe Bennett truly loves to swing, her mother Tara says. The 2-year-old swoops back and forth, laughing and smiling, her eyes beaming.
But any swing without high back support is dangerous for Chloe, born with a form of cerebral palsy, she cannot support herself. So Chloe relies entirely on her mother at nonaccessible parks to move around, stay upright, or even lie down in the sandbox.
"Chloe's not sitting on the sidelines crying, but I am, internally," Bennett said.
There isn't a single handicapped accessible park within an hour of Bennett's Syracuse home. Not only does Chloe love swinging and playing, but Bennett says the therapy associated with play is a critical part of Chloe's physical development.
So last month, Bennett decided to bring a wheelchair-accessible park to Syracuse herself.
She presented the idea to Syracuse City Administrator Rodger Worthen and City Council earlier this month. Officials are supportive, especially since Bennett intends to start a nonprofit organization and raise $800,000 -- her estimated total cost for the park -- herself -.
"I think it could be a great thing for city," Worthen said.
An accessible park features rubber surfaces easier to roll over than wood chips and ramps to the top of playground features so children, whether handicapped or not, can participate.
In early meetings, two potential sites emerged for the 2-acre playground: plots of land near the new Syracuse Fire Department building and in Jensen Nature Park.
The fire station site would be close to medical emergency services, Worthen said, and guide out-of-town visitors straight through downtown. Jensen Nature Park's established popularity would bring in more non-handicapped children, Bennett said, an important part of the plan.
With the city council's ongoing support, she hopes to have the tentatively named Sunshine Park open in less than five years.
Direction for the project came from of an article about Zachary's Playground in Lake St. Louis, Mo. Natalie Blakemore coordinated the construction of an accessible park for her son Zachary. Blakemore happens to be Syracuse City Councilman Doug Peterson's cousin.
Bennett hopes to connect with Blakemore, and streamline the fundraising and construction process even more.
Facing the obvious challenge of starting a nonprofit and raising nearly a million dollars, Bennett says she will draw on her experience volunteering for the Make a Wish Foundation and from business classes at the University of Phoenix. Once the Syracuse park is complete, Bennett dreams of building an accessible park in every county in Utah.
For now she wants to make sure Chloe, and other children with physical handicaps, can play independently. Playgrounds are a right of passage, and Bennett sees no reason why any child should miss out.
In her eyes, it's only a matter of time before Chloe moves from her backyard swing to the playground. It's all part of a lifelong pledge Bennett made to her daughter -- anything is possible.
"We might have to get creative and work hard," Bennett said. "But she'll always be able to do whatever she wants."
But any swing without high back support is dangerous for Chloe, born with a form of cerebral palsy, she cannot support herself. So Chloe relies entirely on her mother at nonaccessible parks to move around, stay upright, or even lie down in the sandbox.
"Chloe's not sitting on the sidelines crying, but I am, internally," Bennett said.
There isn't a single handicapped accessible park within an hour of Bennett's Syracuse home. Not only does Chloe love swinging and playing, but Bennett says the therapy associated with play is a critical part of Chloe's physical development.
So last month, Bennett decided to bring a wheelchair-accessible park to Syracuse herself.
She presented the idea to Syracuse City Administrator Rodger Worthen and City Council earlier this month. Officials are supportive, especially since Bennett intends to start a nonprofit organization and raise $800,000 -- her estimated total cost for the park -- herself -.
"I think it could be a great thing for city," Worthen said.
An accessible park features rubber surfaces easier to roll over than wood chips and ramps to the top of playground features so children, whether handicapped or not, can participate.
In early meetings, two potential sites emerged for the 2-acre playground: plots of land near the new Syracuse Fire Department building and in Jensen Nature Park.
The fire station site would be close to medical emergency services, Worthen said, and guide out-of-town visitors straight through downtown. Jensen Nature Park's established popularity would bring in more non-handicapped children, Bennett said, an important part of the plan.
With the city council's ongoing support, she hopes to have the tentatively named Sunshine Park open in less than five years.
Direction for the project came from of an article about Zachary's Playground in Lake St. Louis, Mo. Natalie Blakemore coordinated the construction of an accessible park for her son Zachary. Blakemore happens to be Syracuse City Councilman Doug Peterson's cousin.
Bennett hopes to connect with Blakemore, and streamline the fundraising and construction process even more.
Facing the obvious challenge of starting a nonprofit and raising nearly a million dollars, Bennett says she will draw on her experience volunteering for the Make a Wish Foundation and from business classes at the University of Phoenix. Once the Syracuse park is complete, Bennett dreams of building an accessible park in every county in Utah.
For now she wants to make sure Chloe, and other children with physical handicaps, can play independently. Playgrounds are a right of passage, and Bennett sees no reason why any child should miss out.
In her eyes, it's only a matter of time before Chloe moves from her backyard swing to the playground. It's all part of a lifelong pledge Bennett made to her daughter -- anything is possible.
"We might have to get creative and work hard," Bennett said. "But she'll always be able to do whatever she wants."
For more information or to make donation, go to http://www.thenochildleftoutproject.blogspot.com/.
7 comments:
That just brings tears to my eyes! I hope that everything goes as planned for you and Chole. You have such dedication. I admire everything that you are doing.
WOOHOO!! I'm so proud of ya, Tara! Seriously!!
This is SO cool! We were just at our park and they have added two of those swings recently:)
Awesome! I'm so proud of you.
I won't lie though- this will be the hardest thing (but worth it). Have you decided what firm you'll partner with? There are two options for community-built playgrounds which have great advantages in terms of cost and fundraising- it's much easier to get corporate sponsorships this way.
If you need any help from someone who has been there/ done that, let me know. My sister and I acted at the General Coordinators for the Wild West Jordan Playground (partially accessible). It's the largest playground in the state. We started a non-profit, raised $425,000 in cash and in-kind donations in less than one year. We got 5,000 people to volunteer $700,000 worth of labor and the whole playground went from bare ground to finished structure in 10 days. It was pretty amazing.
You're in for a wild ride but if anyone can do it- you can. I'd love to chat with you about what we did right AND wrong to help you along the way. We worked with Leathers & Associates- a firm that does community-built playgrounds exclusively and I know they design fully-accessible ones too.
OH YAY Tara!! You are amazing and I know if anyone can do this you can!! Chloe is such a lucky girl to have you as her mom!!
I am tearing up just thinking of what a blessing that would be to so many children!! Only a mom who has a child who struggles can fully grasp what heartache can come from them not being able to do what all the others are doing!! YEt what an amazing gift you are giving to so many!!
I am proud to know you!! Good luck and may the Lord pour out His blessings on this projects to where everything goes well!! We will donate for sure!!
Can't wait to see it finished!!
You're a saint! What a fabulous idea! and so important!
Tara you are indeed a very special loving person. God grants special people the insight to better our world and you are one of those people. Chloe and countless others will reap the benefits of your vision for years. God bless you!
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