The Berthoud Adaptive Park Project is nearly halfway to its fundraising goal of $1 million.
The park will be Berthoud's first public inclusive playground and a destination for children and parents of all abilities.
The Longmont-based nonprofit Can’d Aid said it was inspired to begin raising funds for the public playground by Berthoud resident Lauren Bowling and her family. Due to pregnancy complications, one of her three children, named Miles, was without oxygen long enough to result in a traumatic brain injury known as Periventricular Leukomalacia.
That ultimately led to the development and diagnosis of spastic triplegia cerebral palsy at age 2. Now 4, Miles is not affected cognitively or verbally but cannot walk or stand by himself, making him dependent on a wheelchair.
“It’s important to have a dedicated space for all children to play with their friends and get healthy exercise,” Bowling said in an update on the project. “We’re so excited to announce some of the key elements of the park that will encourage inclusive play among kids of all ages and skill levels.”
The main play structure of the park is a piece of equipment that incorporates accessible elements for children who use mobility aids and challenging elements for able-bodied children to create an inclusive opportunity for play between all kids. The ramps start at ground level, so anyone with a mobility device can access the full structure, while slides, frog hops, monkey bars and climbers go up alongside the ramp for kids of different abilities.
There will also be a sensory play roller table to provide all children stimulation with steel rollers providing deep-muscle pressure, helping kids develop tactile receptors throughout the body. Curved overhead handrails allow for arms of any length and ability to move through the structure.
The inclusive swing area will include a wheelchair swing, a mommy and me swing and a swing with a five-point harness, as well as regular and bucket swings. They will all be located together to encourage inclusive play for all children.
ADA accessible play equipment comes at a high cost, which is why the Berthoud Adaptive Park Project needs community support. Through Colorado Gives Day and the rest of this year, partner Arc of Weld County has committed to match up to $2,500 in donations to this project.
Can’d Aid said it plans to coordinate fundraising efforts and work with developers to host community events and volunteer workdays this spring. The goal of the fundraiser is to help the Bowling family and project developers to help reach their goal.
