Design Day for All Abilities Playground

On Friday, July 11, the public is invited to be a part of an historic event in the community: Design Day for the St. Francis All Abilities Playground.

From 9-11 a.m. at Deer Creek Intermediate School, 3680 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., children can present their ideas about their dream playground to representatives from Leathers & Associates, the firm that will design the playground.

Then, from 3-7 p.m., a free celebration will take place at Vretenar Memorial Park, 4230 S. Kirkwood Ave., with police and fire vehicles, a bounce house, concessions, cake, and a showing of the movie “Frozen.” At 8 p.m. will be the big unveiling of the playground design, which will turn ideas from the morning’s brainstorming session with the kids into a reality.

Built entirely by community volunteers and donations, the St. Francis All Abilities Playground will be located on the north end of Packard Avenue near Lake Drive, and will be a welcoming, inclusive place that’s accessible to children (and adults) of all ability levels. It will include wheelchair swings and other barrier-free playground equipment, as well as musical instruments, Braille and sign language features, and a quiet resting place.

Jocelyn Borzick, the St. Francis mom and disabilities advocate who proposed the project to the City of St. Francis, said, “Design Day is the culmination of months of planning. We can’t wait to hear all the great ideas from the community, and finally see what our playground will look like!”

Find updates and news about this remarkable project on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/stfaaplayground), Twitter (#stfaaplayground) and at the playground’s website (http://www.stfaaplayground.org/).

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