To the Editor:

The Newtown Lions are looking forward to a time when life in Newtown returns to normal, and children can go out to play together again. The Lions Club is kicking off an important new fundraising project that will increase and improve access to our town playgrounds for children with physical limitations and their families.

Inspiration came from third grade student, Leah Mangino who spotted the opportunity during a visit to Dickinson Park with her family. Eight year-old Leah noticed that there was very little in the playground for children with physical limitations like her brother, so she decided to do something about it… she wrote a letter to the editor of The Newtown Bee asking for more adaptive equipment in the parks, especially accessible for wheelchairs.

Inspired by Leah’s letter, the Newtown Lions Club, “swung” into action as something they could work on whilst sheltering at home. The Lions quickly enlisted the support of Newtown Parks & Rec and town resident Jen Rogers, parent of a wheelchair-bound son with special needs. With a well-rounded team in place, the Playground Project was underway!

Our goal is straightforward. Provide each of the two main Newtown parks, Dickinson and Treadwell, with several specialty pieces of high-quality playground equipment that children with physical limitations can use safely while playing with their family and peers.

“I’m keeping my eye out for wheelchair-accessible equipment with movement, like spinning and swaying, that can be used by several people at once,” advises Jen Rogers. “Now that my son is too big to transfer to the adaptive swing seat at Dickinson, for instance, I’d like kids like him to have a chance to feel that flying feeling again.”

Special needs playground equipment does not come cheap, but the payoff is enormous. Many pieces of equipment enhance sensory experiences and build strong feelings of connection and interaction with other children, and wheelchair accessibility will be a huge benefit to the families.

A typical piece of ADA compliant playground equipment can cost about $10-15,000. We estimate three to five pieces of equipment per park, fully installed. This gives us a target of approximately $50k to upgrade the playground at Dickinson Park, and possibly $150 thousand more to replace the playground at Treadwell Park, which as installed 20 years ago and is nearing the end of its designed life.

The Newtown Lions need the help of residents, businesses, and grantors, to raise enough funds to fulfill Leah Mangino’s dream of being able to play alongside her brother, with family and friends. Donations of any size can be made on the Newtown Lions website, www.newtownlions.com, or checks can be sent to Newtown Lions Playground Project, PO Box 218, Newtown CT 06470.

Sincerely,

Walt Schweikert

19 Cobblestone Lane, Newtown May 20, 2020