EVL Park Gets All Inclusive
EVL Park Gets All Inclusive
New Adaptive Playground in the Works
Pictured L-R: Katelyn Johnson-Clark, Molly Timkey, Tiffany Frentz, and Patti Snyder. Photo / Ellicottville Playground Committee
“The concept of a new playground has been a long-time coming. The idea evolved over time and with the help of our full committee, we’re excited to bring this to reality.” - Ellicottville Playground committee member.
Every dream has a beginning, or a tiny seed planted somewhere in our minds and hearts until it takes root and grabs hold so tight that it’s near impossible to ignore. The Ellicottville that visitors and locals know today is a shadow of Ellicottville past. The industrial/farm town has morphed over time to the amazing tourist town visited by hundreds of thousands of people annually, thereby becoming the number one sales tax revenue source in the county. All because of dreams - Holiday Valley, HoliMont, our exceptional restaurants, services and shops, and our Chamber of Commerce. Ellicottville is obviously doing many things right, but the common denominator of all the endeavors here is simply, “It takes a village”. And it takes people who aren’t intimidated by the dream and are willing to pursue it at all costs.
Such was the case with the team of four dynamic women who founded the non-profit Ellicottville Playground board: Patti Snyder (President); Molly Timkey (Vice President); Tiffany Frentz (Treasurer); and Katelyn Johnson-Clark (Secretary). “Two of our board members discussed the need for more modern and inclusive equipment. Though we are fortunate to have a playground in Ellicottville, it’s time for an update.” “Ellicottville Playground values play for all ages and abilities and is inspired to bring modern and versatile equipment to the Ellicottville community to promote physical, social, and cognitive development.”
The idea of an inclusive playground has been imbedded in several people’s thoughts. For instance, Pastor Dan at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church would love to see an inclusive playground on the church grounds. Is it possible to have both? Time will tell. The Ellicottville Playground Board did connect with Pastor Dan. “He and the church members are very supportive of this plan, and we are looking forward to collaborating in the future for fundraising and overall awareness.”
Board member and treasurer, Tiffany Frentz, knows first-hand the challenges placed on a family and a child who has special needs. She is keenly aware of the limitations to our (frankly inadequate) playground equipment when it comes to trying to take her children for a day in the park. The board is clear that they wish for “this playground to be a place where every single child - no matter their abilities - can play and learn.”
Dreams take a village, they take collaboration, and they take dollars… lots of them. “The committee’s goal is to raise $500,000. We have had some donations trickle in that we are immensely thankful for. We are hoping to organize fundraising events for the fall/winter to help us reach our goal as we continue to apply for grants that are appropriate and align with our core values. We are in the process of applying for grants. It’s quite a rigorous application process. We want to make sure we are putting every effort towards this. This requires us to be extremely thorough on what we feel will give us the best opportunity to succeed.”
“Since this is a community endeavor, we’d be thrilled to have local support throughout our fundraising events. This can include a variety of different things such as sharing our social media posts or volunteering as needs arise. We recognize this project is going to require a significant financial investment and raising funds won’t be an easy task. After our initial social launch, we were overwhelmed and humbled at how much positive reaction we received from both local and out-of-town families. Those positive reactions help in creating the momentum to see ideas such as the playground achieve success. There will be countless ways for the community to get involved, and that community involvement is critical for this project to be a success.”
Please watch for events and fundraisers. Join in, perhaps by volunteering your time or giving raffle prizes, etc. It’s a very good thing.
You can reach the Ellicottville Playground board members through their Facebook page or by email at ellicottvilleplayground@gmail.com. (Note: All quotes in this article were gathered from a group email with the entire board.)