BRYAN, Ohio — The city of Bryan will be celebrating the grand opening of a new inclusive playground this weekend.
On Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., the community can come out to the playground, built on the former site of the Lincoln Park Elementary School at 301 E. Butler St., for a short ceremony that will recognize and thank supporters and those who helped raise $730,000 for the playground.
Entertainment will follow the short ceremony, including music, a selfie booth, free will donations for food and water, and free ice cream and t-shirts, while supplies last.
The Bryan Area Foundation said using the Seven Principles of Universal Design, the playground will include ramp entry points, a poured-in-place surface, braille and picture communication boards, a flush-to-ground merry-go-round, zipline, expression swings and more.
The playground came to be through a project fund set up by Bryan Parks and Recreation Board Member and former Bryan City Schools employee Paula Kline, partnering with the Bryan Area Foundation to fundraise enough money to build the playground.
The Bryan Area Foundation said Kline used to work with children of many different abilities and would have to take them to Fort Wayne, Indiana, the closest inclusive playground, to be able to enjoy outdoor recess.
"During those hour-long drives, I would wonder why my hometown didn't have its own inclusive playground," said Kline. "At my high school reunion, I encouraged my class to establish a project fund at the Bryan Area Foundation to have an avenue to collect and save donations when the City of Bryan Parks and Recreation Department was ready to move forward with the project. In 2022, they told me it was time to start planning and building it."
The playground intends to "create a destination where children and families of all physical, mental and social abilities can learn, play and grow together."
