Remington Town Hall
13 E. Railroad St.
Remington, Indiana 47977
Contact: Jonathan Cripe
Remington Town Manager
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
REMINGTON—The Town of Remington is all-in with its plan to significantly expand and update Remington's Community Park to create an inclusive playground for kids of all physical abilities. Currently, the closest inclusive playground designed for children of all abilities is some two and a half hours away.
The town is starting a crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds needed to support the plan as designed by the Town of Remington and HWC Engineering.
Building the inclusive park will cost approximately $2M, and the Town of Remington hopes to raise $1M in public funding through corporate and individual gifts made to a pass-through fund with the Jasper Newton Foundation (JNF). The community foundation is set to match the first $85,000, $1-to-$1, that the Town of Remington raises.
"The majority of playgrounds don't offer recreational opportunities, or important social interactions, to children with disabilities, illnesses, or challenges," said Town of Remington Manager, Jonathan Cripe. "Kids with disabilities need the chance to play and have fun with children of all abilities. They need the opportunity for exercise, recreation, and social growth just like anyone else. We want to have a place where all children can play side-by-side and learn from each other, and be on a path to better health and overall wellness without the challenge of driving over two hours to access those benefits. We want the Town of Remington to continue to grow, and be known as a place where no one is left out. Remington is Fun for Everyone."
Renderings of a plan to create an inclusive park in the Town of Remington, Indiana. An Aug. 24 fundraising dinner presented the park's plans and progress and served as a starting point for the campaign's fundraising efforts.
Inclusive playgrounds are designed with surfacing that provides easy access and equipment and options that cater to different interests and levels of ability. The expanded Remington playground will feature a rubber base, safer and more stable than traditional rubber pellets or mulch, to allow ease of movement for those in wheelchairs or crutches. The park will be accessible and welcoming to children with disabilities, with access routes wider than 60 inches.
Some of the other features of the park and playground equipment are:
Moving and expanding the music play area
Different areas for unique age groups
A cliffrider with a slide
A giant dome with shade and climbing nets
Embankment play with nets and climbing ropes
A universal, ground-level, carousel
"Providing an inclusive playground in the Town of Remington is a way to make sure that all of our children—every single child—has a chance to continue to develop socially and emotionally," said Cripe. "This park is going to change this community for the better, long-term, and bring people together. We hope folks will see the importance of this project, and do whatever they can to help us make this park a reality."
To learn more about the project, or to make a donation, please call 219-866-5756 or visit RemingtonIndiana.org. To support this project, please mail checks to Jasper Newton Foundation at PO Box 295, Rensselaer, IN 47978, and include “Remington Parks” on the memo line. Donations can also be made at https://www.jaspernewtonfoundation.org/givenow/remington-town-park/.