A $10 All-You-Can-Eat breakfast will be held on Friday, June 7, from 8-10 a.m. at the Apache Casino Hotel. Representatives from The Playground Company will be there to offer information and answer any questions.
LAWTON - More than $100,000 has been raised for the new $500,000 inclusive playground to be built at Lake Elmer Thomas Recreational Area.
Just 10 weeks into its fundraising campaign, Children United Southwest Oklahoma (CUSO) has generated $105,000 for the new addition to the Playground in the Park that will allow those with special needs and mobility issues the ability to enjoy swinging, sliding, and spinning on a merry-go-round.
More than 60 specially designed pieces of playground equipment are planned for the playground. Those include a wheelchair merry-go-round, slides and several types of swings that will be lowered to the ground.
There will also be three musical pieces as well as picnic tables and a pavilion. All this equipment will be set atop a $260,000 specialized rubber foundation.
With about 2,700 Lawton Public Schools students who have disabilities and 1,300 Fort Sill residents in the Exceptional Family Member program in mind, CUSO saw the need for a playground where children with special needs could participate and have fun.
The idea first came to mind when CUSO’s Joe Chesko saw a child in a wheelchair could only watch from the sidelines as other children played at the Playground in the Park.
Chesko and CUSO began working with Lawton Enhancement Trust Authority and the Parks and Recreation Department to set the plan into action.
“The playground is a fantastic idea,” said Project Coordinator Amanda Nuñez. “We want all families who have members with special needs - children or adults, veterans and elderly residents to be able to enjoy spending time in the park interacting with their friends, family members and caretakers.”
To make this vision a reality, CUSO has launched a fundraising campaign that included the first annual Dancing for the Children event at the Ballroom of the Apache Casino Hotel as well as a donation drive with Goodwill of Lawton.
“The community has been very supportive,” said Nuñez. “Several companies have sponsored pieces and made generous donations. And a few contractors have offered to do the site prep work for free; we’d just need to rent the equipment.”
CUSO’s 12-member fundraising committee would like to thank Veterans United Home Loans Foundation, Lawton Downtown Kiwanis, The Hilliary Family, Great Plains AMBUCS, Apache Casino Hotel, and many more for being proud sponsors of the playground project. Nuñez is optimistic about the project’s future, adding that CUSO is looking for local, state and national sources for support.
Other future fundraising events, including a poker run and fishing tournament will be announced on Children United SWOK’s Facebook page.
For more details, call (580) 583-2901.