Submitted by Claudia Ellsworth.
This is truly groundbreaking news! With shovels in hand, a celebratory crew will “dig in” to begin the eagerly awaited all inclusive playground at Cirque Park in the City of University Place. The date is Friday, April 12, at 11 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. The event is hosted by the University Place Parks & Recreation Foundation, a grass roots organization which has brought this project to fruition.
The event celebrates completion of Phase 1 of fund raising for the project, with a total of $825,000 in donations and pledges to the project. Major donors include the Names Foundation, Cheney Foundation, Sutherland Foundation, State of Washington and Pierce County. The Cal Ripkin, Sr. Foundation has also partnered with UPPRF. Also included are donations from the community, including and the Rotary Club of University Place-Fircrest and Sunset Bible Church. The City of University Place has generously donated the site and preliminary engineering, and will provide long term maintenance to the playground.
Shovels will be in the hands of County Council Member Ryan Mello, State Representative Mari Levitt, University Place Mayor Javier Figueroa, and others. The event is open to the community in celebration of this new play opportunity.
The playground will be accessible to children of all abilities and located at UP’s 27-acre Cirque Park. The playground’s total cost is expected to be $1,000,000 which includes: a new restroom facility with two ADA family restrooms, site development and state-of-the-art playground equipment. Full funding for the ADA restrooms is in Phase 2 of construction, and will be the subject of additional fund raising. The new playground is expected to open in fall 2024; opening of the new restroom will await full funding.
The playground has been designed by a local community team and Cunningham Recreation. It features the latest in-play equipment that encourages interactive play among children of all abilities. The playground will also feature a base of interlocking cushioned tiles, allowing wheeled devices to move smoothly in and out of the playground. Other features will offer tactile or cognitive stimulation to children with nonphysical disabilities, such as autism, speech, hearing, or intellectual disabilities.
Further information can be obtained by contacting Chris Saunders, UPPRF President, at cls0714@gmail.com or info@upprf.org. Donation information can be found at the UPPRF Facebook page.
