Kiwanis Clubs of Plano - Playground Project

The Kiwanis Clubs of Plano recently announced plans for a new, unique playground in northwest Plano. “The playground will the first of its kind in this area,” said Jamie Reeves, the chairperson of the playground committee. “ It is designed to allow children, with and without disabilities, to develop essential skills for life as they learn together through play.” Wide ramps, ground level access points, railings, pull bars, and other unique features are incorporated into the equipment. The bouncing and rocking devices include back support and special composite surfacing, provides superior fall protection while allowing wheels to roll easily across the surface.

The playground will serve a portion of the more than 60,000 children in Collin County with physical and developmental disabilities. Jeffery Jones, the president of the Plano club stated “This project fits very well with our mission to serve the children of our community and specifically with another major project of our club, the Kiwanis Angels.” The Angels are a group of special needs children, who participate in various athletic and social activities sponsored by the club throughout the year.

The grounds are located next to Russell Creek Park on McDermott Rd., just southeast of the intersection of Highway 121 and Coit Rd. The proximity of the playground to major thoroughfares makes the facility convenient to a large number of residents of Collin and Denton counties. Russell Creek Park connects it to a major outdoor activity center of the city. A nearby YMCA facility offers additional options for visitors to the site and enhances the programs of that facility as well.

The playground has been a project of the club for a long time now and represents the culmination of months of planning and working with early childhood specialists, mobility experts, equipment suppliers and city officials to bring such a facility the city. The land for the playground has been donated by the city of Plano.

Funding for construction will come from donations from the community and from fund raising events. One such event is the Fall Family Fun Run planned for this October at Bob Woodruff Park. Support in the form of entry fees and sponsorship of runners in the event will be combined with corporate and individual contributions sponsorships from caring businesses and people in the community. The club is also working with the Kiwanis International Foundation to provide matching funds to the amount raised from events. The foundation is a part of Kiwanis International, an all volunteer organization of over 600,000 men, women and young adults around the world with the mission of serving the children of the world.

For more information on playground project, the Fun Run, Kiwanis, or to contribute time, energy or money to this and other worthwhile activities on behalf of children, contact Jamie Reeves at Playground@planokiwanis.org or visit the club website at http://www.planokiwanis.org