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Ten-Year-Old Raises $50,000 for Playground in Hastings, Neb.
Volunteers to Install Accessible Playstructure on July 29 ,2000
MINNEAPOLIS, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The following press release was issued today by Landscape Structures, Inc:
Ten-year-old Justine Johnson, who raised $50,000 over the past year to build an accessible playstructure at Chautauqua Park (Laird and 5th Street) in her hometown of Hastings, Neb., will see her dream become reality on Saturday, July 29. About 50 community volunteers will team up that day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to build a playstructure that allows kids of all abilities to play together.
Johnson was playing in Hastings during the summer of 1999 when she noticed a boy in a wheelchair who was unable to join others as they climbed on the playground equipment.
"He looked sad," said Justine. "It made me feel sad, too." So she went home and began drawing up "blueprints" for equipment that would be accessible to children in wheelchairs.
Her piano teacher saw the plans and arranged for her to speak at the local Kiwanis club. They donated $100 for an adaptive swing. Needing more money, she conducted a nickel drive at school that netted $192. Soon she decided to plan a whole playground and became a regular speaker on the "club circuit," from the Lions to the VFW.
Once Johnson had gathered significant funds, Johnson's family chose Outdoor Recreation Products to provide equipment. Outdoor Recreation Products is located in Elkhorn, Neb., and is a representative for Landscape Structures Inc., a commercial playground manufacturer for parks and schools. Landscape Structures flew the family to headquarters in Delano, Minn., in August 1999, to learn more about playground manufacturing. At that time, Johnson also presented her ideas to a Landscape Structures team of designers.
Bill Pospichal, owner of Outdoor Recreation Products, will supervise the installation, assisted by a volunteer with a keen interest in this project: Wendell Nelson. Nelson is a former Outdoor Recreation Products employee who started his own company and then was injured in a motor vehicle accident in November 1998 that left him a C5-C6 quadriplegic. He has limited use of his arms but no hand function, and is paralyzed from the chest down.
After reading about Johnson's efforts to raise money to build an accessible playground, Nelson became inspired to volunteer his technical expertise. "I was impressed with the effort of such a young girl, and knowing the business like I do, as well as the fact that this is going to be
The structure itself will feature a special transfer module so children can transfer onto the structure if they are physically able to get out of their wheelchairs and crawl onto the structure. Ramps also provide access to the structure.
Play event highlights include an accessible swing -- a child in a wheelchair can roll onto a swinging platform. There are also ground-level play events such as a Stationary Cycler, which is like a stationary bicycle, but for a child's arms.
Donations are still being accepted to complete the project. Send donations to the Hastings Community Foundation, Handicapped Park .
For more information about PlayOdyssey, contact your local LSI representative, visit LSI's Web site at www.playlsi.com or contact LSI at 1-888-4FUNLSI.
SOURCE Landscape Structures Inc.
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