Alexander Elementary’s new inclusive playground opening highlights community coming together

ALBANY — Alexander Elementary officially celebrated the opening of its new inclusive playground on Aug. 15.

This playground aims to serve all children, regardless of physical abilities. The playground features an accessible ramp, swings, slides, and even a braille board of different letters.

DJ B-Funk attended the event and provided fun music, Kona Ice provided free snow cones, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, who was a sponsor of the project, also was present.

There were tables set up selling T-shirts, reading “We All Play Together”. There were also opportunities to see the planning and ideas behind the playground. Attendees could also leave feedback.

Although Phase 1 of the playground has been open for the past few weeks, Thursday marked the community celebration, with a huge turnout of local families and children.

There were quite a few different people involved with this project, though moms Annah Korpi and Lisa Wigel were behind the initial plans for a more accessible and inclusive play area for their kids.

Alexander Elementary Assistant Principal Richard Maskiell was also closely involved with the playground’s planning, as well as the opening celebration.

“We wanted to be able to hold an official opening event to celebrate all of the hard work that it took, from not just this committee and the school, but so many in the community,” said Maskiell. “A lot of people donated time, materials and money to make this happen and celebrating that success is important as part of our appreciation. An event like this also helps the children in our community realize that this is truly a special thing. Although the playground has been usable for a few weeks, summer is a very busy time and we wanted as many people as possible to be able to enjoy this special moment.”

During the celebration’s speeches, the many different people who were a part of this project were honored and the donors were listed.

Some of the donors include the Athens County Foundation, Athens Rotary Foundation, Michael and Nancy Peter, Hocking Valley Bank, Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities Child Conservation League, Dimco Construction and Family, and OUCU Financial.

Although not everyone involved was able to attend the event, they had the opportunity to be recognized for their contributions.

“I think the most significant thing about this event, at least for me, was seeing the support of and from the community,” said Maskiell. “Many people who do not currently have children at Alexander Elementary, participated in this project from inception to completion. This project has brought out the best in many people and has inspired friendships and partnerships with folks that would have otherwise never met. As far as the highlight of the night, for me, it was having the inclusion of our students in the ceremony. Ultimately this is a gift to our students, our community’s children, and the future of our world. Having them get a time to be the center of attention was fitting and a good reminder of why we all did this work.”

The event aimed to honor the main purpose of the playground, which is to serve the children in the area. Although it is a school playground, it also provides a place for families to enjoy outside of school hours.

“Throughout this planning we have talked about how this playground is used by our community outside of school time. If you come to the school in the evenings and weekends, it is very common to see families out enjoying the space,” added Maskiell. “We have had families tell us that they have held birthday parties and special events on the playground, so this is a community resource. Although it gets most of its use from students during the school day, we are glad to know that lots of people can enjoy this space outside of school times. Many people may come from surrounding areas so that their children can access equipment that allows them to play.”

There is also a hope that this initiative from Alexander School District will influence other schools in the area to follow their lead, and provide inclusive enjoyment for everyone, regardless of ability.

Although many playgrounds feature an accessible swing or piece of equipment, the goal for this playground is to provide an equal opportunity for every kid.

“I do think that this may help and is helping other districts look at these options. A few local schools already have some pieces of accessible equipment, but not to this scale,” said Maskiell. “I have been approached by parents and employees of other districts about how they can make their play spaces even better for students already, and once they see what we have done, I think there will be even more interest. The goal for the event was to celebrate a special milestone, as well as, honor those who made this dream into a reality. It took a lot of time, energy, and resources for this to come to fruition, and we wanted to show our appreciation to all of those that helped us. The turnout was fantastic and more than I was expecting, and I think that is true for many of us. It showed how much this project has meant to so many people and it was a special night with the community.”