New Playground Opening August 11

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held to officially open the second handicap accessible playground on Long Island at Patchogue's Shorefront Park. The Department of Parks and Recreation announced the ceremony, which will take place on Aug. 11 at 10 a.m.

Maria Hendrickson, Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, said that while the official ribbon cutting of the equipment is not until Aug. 11, the equipment is already open to the public. The playground is located near the Bandshell and basketball courts at Shorefront Park.

Hendrickson said that this playground has been specifically designed to accommodate children who are confined to wheelchairs or who have other special needs. Double-wide ramps and bars will allow handicapped children to pull themselves onto the equipment, which on a traditional playground has not been as accessible. Additions still to come include exercise equipment that will adjust intensity based on body weight.

Over two years of work have gone into planning, fundraising, and building the playground. The playground cost approximately $200,000 to construct, $40,000 of which came from fundraising efforts conducted by the Friends of Shorefront Park, an organization founded by Hendrickson. The remainder came from grants received after applying to Marian Russo, Executive Director of the Community Development Agency, New York State, matching and other grants. 

"It was created by me but comprised of village employees, residents and non-residents who would come to help fundraise," said Hendrickson.

Fundraising efforts were held during the Great South Bay Music Festival, concerts at Brick House Brewery, a coloring contest, the annual boat races and several other events throughout the last two years.