"$56"- * 5 r /&84
Family donates land for accessible playground
DIANE HUNTER diane.hunter@eap.on.ca
fundraising efforts to see the park become a reality. A park where everyone can play The idea for the park came about when the Chenier family had the opportunity to travel to Orlando, Florida, in 2010, through Make-a-Wish Foundation. During the trip, the family was introduced to the concept of a universal accessible playground where Sacha was able to play on the play structures for the first time. “The time in the playground watching Sacha giggle with joy, as his brother Sabastien pushed him on the swings, was the highlight of our trip,” said Jacquelyn, Sacha’s mother. The structures were made to accommodate wheel chairs and children with special needs. Prior to this trip, Sacha had been unable to play in most parks and would have to spend his time on the sidelines, unable to participate. The Chenier family decided that having an accessible park locally was not only a good idea, but a necessity. “Imagine a playground where no child has to sit by the sidelines and feel left out,” said Jason Chenier, Sacha’s father. “It is my dream to have a park that everyone can play in.” The Chenier’s concept of the barrier free inclusive park would include things like spongy surfaces rather than gravel or sand, resulting in easier access for wheel chairs, walkers, and people who have difficulty walking on uneven surfaces. It would also include items such as adaptive
Can you imagine trying to push a wheel chair through gravel or sand? For kids with disabilities, playgrounds are places to watch others play. Childrenwith special needs don’t get to play in parks that most kids get to play in. But that will soon change for the Champlain Township. In memory of 11-year-old Sacha Chenier, who passed away suddenly June 9, 2014, the Chenier family, along with Champlain Township, are in the process of building an accessible park near L’Orignal. The Chenier family has generously offered to donate a piece of land in the new Place la Seigneurie residential development near L’Orignal, as long as the land will be used for an accessible park in Sacha’s memory. Fundraising efforts and planning have just begun for Sacha’s Park after Champlain Township agreed to support the endeavour, at the town council meeting on March 11. Jason, Jacquelyn, and Sebastian Chenier attended themeetingWednesday to discuss plans to create andmaintain the innovative park. The council members agreed whole- heartedly to be part of this new development. Mayor Gary Barton congratulated the Chenier’s for their undertakings. “If we all work together, we could make it happen.” The township along with the Chenier family will work together to find funding in way of government grants and
Jacquelyn, Sebastien, Sacha, and Jason Chenier pose with super heroes during their Make-a-Wish trip to Orlando, Florida, in 2010.Their endeavour to build an accessible park in Sacha’s memory is a heroic one.
swings, sensory and interactive panels for childrenwith vision loss and autism, a theme designed to spark imagination, and perhaps a splash pad. Funding for the project could amount to several hundred thousand dollars. “It is an ambitious project, but one we canmake happen if we all come together,” said Jason. A
fundraising website (http://www.gofundme. com/everyonecanplay) has been set up and has, up to date, collectedmore than $70,000 toward the project. “We want to honour the memory of our son,” said Jason. More information on Sacha’s Park can be found on Facebook https://www.facebook. com/Sachaspark
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