Inclusive playground christened with laughter

The delighted squeals and laughter of children at play, the sight of half a dozen youngsters riding at all levels of a tall Christmas tree-shaped merry-go-round and a young girl with cerebral palsy sitting at a picnic table that’s just her size while enjoying a snow cone. Those are the sights and sounds those who attended Saturday’s ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Hamilton County Inclusive Playground will no doubt carry with them for years to come. 
Perhaps the best mental screenshot I’ll remember, however, is the look of pure joy on a young boy’s face as he zipped down the track of the “Rail Rider” (a special kind of zipline on which disabled and able bodied children can ride side by side) perhaps for the first time in his life. 
The scene of joyful play, which included children (and adults) of all physical abilities, was the perfect christening for the facility and a moving tribute to the 2-1/2 year effort by a small group of motivated individuals, along with dozens of organizations, government entities and individuals throughout Hamilton County and beyond who raised the $1.7 million needed to build this unique place where truly no child is left behind.  
At the beginning of 2024 when Cami Knust, who had the original inspiration, began meeting with her core group consisting of Kim Eberly, Mariah Sorensen and Jennifer Heiden, the task before them of building a coalition, getting permissions and raising the funds must have seemed daunting. However, as longtime local residents, they also knew the generosity and can-do spirit that pervades Hamilton County. And, true to form, the local residents responded by pitching in and helping out however they could. 
Perhaps Eberly put it best in the moments leading up to the ribbon cutting on Saturday when she said, “We had so many groups that donated their money to us. They did the fundraisers and then gave the money to us, and we could not have done this project without them. We had people who sold crafts, we had people who gave up birthday presents to make a donation to the playground, we had sweet corn stands. The seventh graders gave their POP money to this project. Kids did extra chores to raise money for this project, and we had so many lemonade stands.” 
Today and for years to come, the Hamilton County Inclusive Playground will stand as a testament, not only to the power of a few inspired, creative and motivated individuals who pursue a dream, but to what can happen when a community comes together at all levels to create a place that produces the kind of smiles and laughter that were so much in abundance on Saturday morning along Old Creek Road. 
RON BURTZ can be reached at newsregister@hamilton.net