Courtney’s SandCastle Universally Accessible Playground
Courtney’s SandCastle is a universal playground which will be developed as a part of the Vista Hermosa/La Pata Community Park. It will serve both special need children and adults as well as able bodied children.
The Parks Foundation, the City of San Clemente, and the Junior Woman’s Club came together in 2004 to build the playground, originally planned for Steed Park.
Courtney’s SandCastle is named for Courtney Faye Smith who has been confined to a wheelchair because of a rare muscular degenerative disease – Spinal Muscular Atrophy. When Courtney and her friends visit local parks together, she is unable to participate because of her disabilities as are some 18,000 other children in Orange County with disabilities. Special recreational equipment will also be available to handicapped Marine veterans and other disabled adults.
The playground was designed by Richard Fisher (who built many of the West’s premier universally accessible and traditional parks), and Summers/Murphy & Partners Inc. The playground, along with baseball, soccer, and football fields, and an aquatic center, is expected to open in December 2011.
An exciting “Paint a Tile” fundraiser was recently launched. Sponsoring organizations and individuals can support Courtney’s SandCastle by purchasing personalized colorful, glazed tiles. These tiles will be placed on a special wall within the playground and serve as a timeless reminder of our faithful community. Following your $100 (per tile) tax-deductible donation, you will receive a voucher that can be taken to Fired Up of San Clemente to design your own tiles or choose from one of the design templates.
See Website http://www.courtneyssandcastle.com
Tracy, I remember when you used to talk about this park being built. It is exciting that it will be done soon.
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