By Hailey Andersen
For the first time, Bryan College Station will have a park that is accessible and enjoyable to people of all ages, backgrounds, or special needs. The Fun for All Playground at Central Park in College Station is a playground open for people from all walks of life to gather together and relax.
Thanks to the help of community partners, service organizations, and the Community Foundation, the upcoming 4.5 acre playground will have sensory gardens, quiet places, a splash pad, a miniature multi-sports performance stadium similar in appearance to a local university venue, and more for kids to enjoy. There will be opportunities for special olympics and competitions to take place at the park, as well as activities for adults and their children to experience.
“We really don’t have any playground that is available to individuals of all needs or special needs, anyone of all ages, children, adults and families, veterans, etc. [where individuals] can come out and sit and play and watch [their] children to have fun,” says Co-Chair of the Fun For All Playground Steering Committee David Gerling.
The $3.5 million playground project will be a place for families to gather and for every child to feel comfortable and safe, according to Community Foundation President Patricia Gerling. In order for this to become a reality, the construction project has been split into three phases. The Fun for All Playground Steering Committee is working with donors and individuals in soliciting donations for construction expenses. The effort to raise money for the playground is the most important step to moving closer to the next two phases.
“Phase I is under construction right now,” says David. “It will have a splash pad, it’ll have two climbing units, and one swing unit. It also has some dedicated parking spaces.” Barring weather delays, phase I should be open by May, he says.
The next step is to start phase II, which will include a formal playground entrance, donor plaza, and a miniature sports stadium. Phase III completes the park with more play areas, a stick forest maze, quiet places, walkways, a veteran fitness area, and more.
“Phase II and phase III are on the shelf; they are ready to go,” says Patricia. “All we need to do is raise the rest of the funds. The hope and the goal is to have a seamless construction so that once phase I is finished, they can keep working on it.”
Thanks to the receipt of a $500,000 grant to the Community Foundation from an anonymous private foundation in Northwest Texas, the Fun for All Playground Steering Committee is seeking community donations to match this $500,000 grant for Phase II of the playground’s construction. Local citizens, businesses, and organizations can support the continued construction of this playground by making a gift toward this matching grant. Every dollar raised will be used to support the continued construction of the playground.
“Let’s finish this out,” says Patricia. “People can make a pledge, they can do it over a couple years, they can do it over [several months], so it’s very friendly as far as the ability to make a donation towards this because this park will be here forever.”
For more information or to make a donation to help the Fun For All Playground finish out the remaining $1.6 million construction balance, visit www.funforallplaygroundbcs.com.
