Press Release September 4, 2003

The Adventure Island Playground, Idaho's First Universally Accessible Playground, Kicking Off Construction with Groundbreaking Ceremony

(Meridian, ID) The Adventure Island Playground will be the first facility of it's kind in Idaho, allowing children of all abilities the opportunity to learn, play and grow together. The playground is a creative partnership between volunteers who live throughout the Treasure Valley, the City of Meridian and JumpStart, a pediatric therapy program of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. After three years of research and design planning, the organizers are ready to begin construction. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, September 10 at Settler's Park at the corner of Meridian and Ustick Roads.

The Adventure Island Playground is modeled after similar successful projects in Maryland and California and promotes a program of education, recreation and inclusion. Children learn through play and through their early social experiences. When children of all abilities are given opportunities to play together, they are receiving life's lessons on the importance of diversity and inclusion through natural life experiences. The Adventure Island Playground allows children of all abilities to begin to understand this great message from the earliest point in their lives. In addition, by creating universal accessibility, the physical benefits of play are received by all children. Children with disabilities who may have not been able to participate previously will have new opportunities for physical fitness. This will assist in creating healthier kids and a healthier community.

The Adventure Island Playground will be built in two phases. While the funds have been raised to purchase the equipment for phase one, as well as some in-kind donations for early site development, donations of concrete, excavation and other construction needs are still required in order to install the main playstructures by next Spring. Additional funds will continue to be raised in order to purchase all of the equipment in phase two. Phase one is anticipated to be complete by Summer 2004 and the entire playground could be complete as early as Summer of 2005. Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony will be the beginning of the exciting construction, fundraising and community involvement yet to come.

Comments from City Leaders, including Mayor Robert Corrie and Parks and Recreation Director Doug Strong will be heard. Speaking on behalf of the playground design will be David Koga and Jeremy Ainsworth of The Land Group, Landscape Architects. Representatives of JumpStart-Saint Alphonsus, and project volunteers will also share their experiences.

For more information on the project, please contact Angela Lindig at 208-887-3531 or e-mail: alindig@juno.com. More information is also available at: http://www.adventureislandplayground.org