With balloons, shaved ice, and a big crowd of kids, the new Trillium Playground opened at the County Fitness Park Thursday.
Trillium is the county’s contract provider for mental health and addiction care. The park is designed to allow special needs children the same play opportunities as other kids. The $500,000 play area was donated at no cost to the county, other than providing property at the fitness park and maintenance.
Cecelia Peers, Southern Regional Director of Trillium, said the park is the 33rd built by Trillium on land donated by local governments.
The play area is designed for easy access by physically challenged children and their families. It features wheelchair accessible activities as well as playground equipment designed with all special needs children in mind. Some of the features involve moving parts that are kid-friendly, while others are readily accessible to children with and without sensory or mobility issues.
Phyllis Crosby of the state Department of Health and Human Services told the crowd of about 200 adults and children that she goes “to a lot of events, but this is the kind I like the best.
“This allows everyone to. be able to get outside and play,” she said.
County Parks and Recreation Director Julie Strickland praised her staff, who found out just three months ago that the county had qualified for the grant to build the park. The grant program that funds the playgrounds had been put on hold, and Columbus was one of many counties turned down for a play area. In May, county officials were notified that the grant program was not only back in business, but Columbus had been approved for a $500,000 for a play area.
“When I got the call, I asked if they were pulling a prank on me,” Strickland said.
Look for more on this story tomorrow at Columbus County News.
