Life as a parent in a wheelchair got a little bit easier for Renee Louvierre-Mitchell thanks to the citizens of Blair Township.
When a grass-roots effort to build a community playground began in the fall of 2005, the vision was accessibility for all. When Phase I of the Blair Community Playground debuted last September, it featured a surface that allowed Louvierre-Mitchell to get right up to the climbing structure while her daughter, Genna, 5, played. No more waiting on the sidelines, she could be right up there at the equipment.
"I'm able to interact with her like a regular parent,” she said. "The first time I came here, right away I was happy with the way they set up the park — even the sidewalks are nice.”
Louvierre-Mitchell, who works for the Disability Network of Northern Michigan, and her family joined residents of Blair Township Saturday for the second annual Blair Community Family Fun Day in the Park. Celebrating just shy of the opening of Phase II, a play structure for 5-12 year old children, the day featured a range of games and activities. The second portion of the playground should open by mid September, joining the September 2006 launch of the area geared to 2-5 year olds plus swings.
The waiting was not the hardest part for attendees, especially children who bounded from swings to structure to games to a giant inflatable caterpillar.
"I love this park and I'm so happy that they are doing this,” said Diane Deroucher, who attended with her two children, Matt, 8, and Laura, 5. "We came last year and were amazed at how much they got done.”
Also a fund raiser for the three-phase project, the Family Fun Day raised nearly $1,300 towards the estimated $286,000 needed to complete the whole playground. So far the grass-roots endeavor has raised just under half the amount needed, thanks in part to a number of grants. This February, a $20,000 grant from the Kellogg Foundation helped pay for the wheelchair-accessible surface that will be under Phase II.
"We went after that one and received a $10,000 grant and then they upped it and gave us another $10,000 for the surfacing,” said Brenda DeKuiper, who began the grass-roots project and also serves as the township's treasurer.
"So far, we've had over $130,000 and that's without the in-kind donations,” added DeKuiper, noting that last year, the project received just shy of $20,000 of in-kind from area business and is on a pace for between $20,000-25,000 this year.
DeKuiper's concept has always been a playground for everyone and this has remained the guiding light despite the extra costs incurred. Besides being a central location for township families to gather and play, she hopes that the playground will be a destination in the region for people — grandparents or individuals, parents or children — who need extra accessibility.
"It's a rare and unique thing in this area,” she said. "It's a lot more expensive to do this, go this route, but it's worth it in the end: nobody gets left out.”
Organizers hope to open Phase III by the fall of 2008, completing the ambitious project in just three years. This final phase will include a fun and fitness area featuring climbing and overhead equipment.
"We're looking at getting a swing that wheelchairs can actually go in, like a glider,” added DeKuiper. "Two wheelchairs can go into it or up to 4-5 children.”