HELPING THE SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY WITH ADA SWINGS IN MULTIPLE WEST SUBURBAN PARKS
Summer with younger children means a trip or two or twenty to the local playground. When my kids were younger, I felt like that was one of the easiest ways to break up our day and get out of the house. However, this becomes a more difficult destination to navigate for families with children with disabilities. It has been a process, but slowly we are seeing public parks redesign or add equipment to become more inclusive. The Kiwanis Club of St. Charles has spearheaded the rally in their community.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. The Kiwanis Club of St. Charles was chartered on March 19, 1964 and is proudly celebrating their 57th year as a club. In 2017, the club partnered with the St. Charles Park District and donated $10,000 to install an ADA swing in every possible playground in their community. The ADA swings were designed as an oversized plastic and bright-colored swing that could secure children with disabilities, keeping them safer than traditional swings. This bucket swing was installed for ages 4-7 years old, or until they grow out of it.
Wanting to continue and expand their efforts for the children in their community, the Kiwanis club decided to have a wheelchair swing installed in the new sensory playground in Pottawatomie Park. “This is the first wheelchair swing in St. Charles,” says Connie Kurr, member of The Kiwanis Club of St. Charles. “The smiles on the faces of the children who have been on the swing say it all.” The hope for the future is to have another wheelchair swing installed in a St. Charles playground.
In order to provide grants to organization to serve the community and children, the St. Charles Kiwanis Club has two major fund-raising projects: Rose Day, which happens every Administration Day in April and Peanut Days, which is currently running now through October and are sold by club members and online. To donate to the organization or join the club and become a part of their many service projects, visit www.kiwanisofstcharles.org for more information.
