News Release
Westmount Inclusive Playground
& Mobility Challenge Course
Fundraising Committee
Warren Reed, Grants Coordinator
Eileen Cody, School Principal
Randy Tully, Acting Principal
JoAnne Redgrave
Monica Farrag
Elizabeth Oldford
Darlene Trenholme
John Swales
(March 22, 2006) - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada has made an extraordinarily generous grant of $70,000 to a local community group building an accessible playground and mobility challenge course at Westmount School in HRM.
“Little people shouldn’t have to deal with big problems”, said Drew Sadler, Operations Manager for McDonald’s Restaurants of Atlantic Canada, “and this grant reflects both McDonald’s strong commitment in giving back to the community and our enthusiasm for the project – helping children in need.”
Warren Reed, who wrote the proposal to Ronald McDonald House Charities, said “This project is a compelling and distinctively Nova Scotian idea, and we are gratified that Ronald McDonald House Charities has recognized its value, particularly the mobility challenge course, which will be the first of its kind in North America. Maybe this will inspire future Commonwealth Paralympics medalists.”
The entire project, with a cost of about $345,000 is now fully funded with $93,000 in corporate and private grants and $262,000 from municipal and provincial government, including generous discretionary funding from municipal councillors. "The contributions signify the regional nature of this facility. It will be the first truly 'inclusive' playground in HRM and I'm proud to have it situated in the Connaught-Quinpool area”, said Sheila Fougere, area councillor.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities grant is targeted at the mobility challenge component. The entire playground will be built this spring and will be open to everyone in HRM. The mobility challenge course is a series of everyday obstacles – doors, hills, curbs, rough patches – which will enable young people with a variety of disabilities to develop skills with real life applications. At the same time, HRM has committed to an active schedule of programming for the playground, with appropriate supervision and skills development courses.
The other portion of the playground will be familiar looking but will be surfaced with a thick rubber material for safety and to allow access by wheelchair users and others who require a level surface.
The community group is being advised and has had generous encouragement from R. Lee Kirby, MD, FRCPC, researcher and professor at the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Dalhousie University. Dr. Kirby has developed a wheelchair skills program and testing regime designed to assess mastery of wheelchair abilities in real world settings. He is a proponent of improving the assimilation of persons with disabilities both by design of the physical environment and by identifying and improving important proficiencies.
“This project is a model of cooperation among interested citizens, government, education and private enterprise”, said Reed, who added “By insuring full community participation by disabled persons, money devoted to access is well spent”
For further information, contact:
Warren C. Reed
for the WIPP Committee
1540 Summer St. #406
Halifax, NS B3H 4R9
(902) 423-5599 - home
wcreed@ns.sympatico.ca
R. Lee Kirby, MD, FRCPC
Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dalhousie University
c/o Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre, Room 206
1341 Summer Street,
Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4K4
(902) 473-1268
kirby@dal.ca
Councillor Sheila Fougere
P.O. Box 1749
Halifax, NS B3J 3A5
(902) 490-4050
(902) 452-3209 (cell)
fougers@halifax.ca
Steve Oakey and Kevin Conley
Project supervisors
HRM property management
(902) 490-6193
oakeys@halifax.ca
conleyk@halifax.ca
Drew Sadler
Operations Manager
Atlantic Canada McDonald’s
645 Windmill Rd. 2nd Floor
Dartmouth, NS B3B 1B7
(902) 465-7303
Drew.Sadler@ca.mcd.com
