NEWBERRY — With the help of Kori Kunkle and Megan Grubbs, the city received $1,847 toward the purchase of all-inclusive playground equipment within the city parks.

“It’s a great cause we definitely wanted to bring to Newberry,” Grubbs said of the pair’s project, Swing for Kids.

Around $45,000 is needed to upgrade parks within the city, with most of the money needed toward developing sidewalks and surfaces that children can easily get around on.

Kunkle said she was excited to work toward the cause of helping all children play together, with no one feeling left out.

“The desire to provide accessible and inclusive play areas goes back many years. To see it actually being implemented is very exciting,” said Scott Sawyer, director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for the city.

The city currently has three swings designed to be inclusive to those with special needs at Marion Davis Park.

The first, the Expression swing is designed so that an adult and child can swing facing one another at the same eye-level.

Marion Davis Park also just received two Zero-G swing chairs, one swing for ages 2 to 5 and one swing for ages 5 to 12 which provide additional support for children while swinging. These were both part of the Newberry Accessible and Inclusive Play Areas Project.

The project also includes installing two additional inclusive swings at Mollohon Park and two wheelchair accessible swings at Marion Davis Park.

“This isn’t a one-time project. It’s an initiative that will be continued when new play areas are built and we hope to upgrade current play areas to make them more accessible and inclusive as well,” Sawyer said.

The Newberry Accessible & Inclusive Play Areas Project is a community-based group of individuals dedicated to bringing accessible and inclusive play opportunities for people of all abilities to Newberry County.

The group works together with and supports the City of Newberry’s Recreation Accessibility Team. For more information or a project brochure contact the City of Newberry Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department at (803) 321-1015.

The City of Newberry received $1,847 towards the purchasing of all-inclusive playground equipment within the city parks through Grubbs and Kunkle’s project, “Swings for Kids.”
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_IMG_0009.jpgThe City of Newberry received $1,847 towards the purchasing of all-inclusive playground equipment within the city parks through Grubbs and Kunkle’s project, “Swings for Kids.” Courtesy photos

From left to right, Mayor Foster Senn, Megan Grubbs, Kori Kunkle, and Parks and Recreation Director Scott Sawyer stand with the check presented to the city from the “Swings for Kids” project
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_IMG_0006.jpgFrom left to right, Mayor Foster Senn, Megan Grubbs, Kori Kunkle, and Parks and Recreation Director Scott Sawyer stand with the check presented to the city from the “Swings for Kids” project Courtesy photos

Staff Report