Santa Cruz County’s first all inclusive playground breaking ground this weekend
UPDATE 10/12/18 6:45 p.m. After years of planning and fundraising, LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park is breaking ground this weekend.
The playground is designed to give all children access to the benefits of a playground.
Founders of the project Tricia and Bob Potts of Santa Cruz County have three children, Lauren Evelyn and Oliver.
Oliver uses a wheelchair for mobility making most playgrounds tough to access.
“I couldn’t get around the play structure because all of my friends were playing by themselves and I was alone. I couldn’t get around the wood chips and everything,” said Oliver.
He’s not alone. One in ten children in the community have a disability that makes it challenging for them to use traditional playgrounds. Tricia says, “we have children in our community who have never visited a playground in their lifetime, something we would consider a basic right of childhood is being denied.”
The family attended the opening of Tatum’s Garden, an all inclusive playground in Salinas, and were inspired to bring something similar to Santa Cruz County.
Tricia says, “it was the first time my children were able to play together like any other family and that experience was so powerful that I sat in the car that day in the parking lot of that play ground and promised my children that we would find a way to build this in our community.”
To this day the Potts family along with dozens of other community and the county have raised more than 2 million dollars to go towards the playground.
“It’s designed so children like my son who uses a wheelchair or a child with visual impairment or a child with autism that needs quit and active spaces will feel welcome and accepted and be able to play side by side with all of the kids so yes it’s been designed for kids with special needs but it’s truly for all children,” says Tricia.
The ground breaking for the playground is scheduled for Saturday October 13th.
The ceremony will start at 10 a.m. followed by games, food trucks and music going until 2 p.m.
To learn more about the project click here.
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After years of planning and fundraising, LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park is breaking ground this weekend.
The playground is designed to give all children access to the benefits of a playground.
Founders of the project Patricia and Bob Potts of Santa Cruz County have three children, Lauren Evelyn and Oliver.
Oliver uses a wheelchair for mobility making most playgrounds tough to access.
The family attended the opening of Tatum’s Garden, an all inclusive playground in Salinas, and were inspired to bring something similar to Santa Cruz County.
The ground breaking for the playground is scheduled for Saturday October 13th.
The ceremony will start at 10 a.m. followed by games, food trucks and music going until 2 p.m.
To learn more about the project click here.
Kion’s Ashley Keehn will have more at 5 p.m. & 6 p.m.
