June 1st was a really good day for the children and families of Aquidneck Island. The entire community gathered on Turnpike Avenue to celebrate the Four Hearts Foundation as they opened their new inclusive and adaptive playground.
Kateri Chappell Buerman, who has led the Four Hearts Foundation for two years , raising over $800,000 for the park, states, “It was the best day ever , seeing so many people come out and celebrate how we came together as a community to create something special was really magical”.
Kids and parents tried out all the equipment and the smiles spoke for themselves! The new playground is a hit! Buerman states while designing the playground the foundation took all of their favorite parts from local playgrounds and put them all together while trying to look at it with a parent lense. “We tried to make everything as safe as possible, for example, making bridges and staircases closed. We want kids to get to he kids here. They learn by exploring and playing without us hovering. We really hope the community loves it as much as we do. So many people donated time, money, resources making it a true labor of love and community effort. Four Hearts Foundation expresses their eternal thanks for the community kindness.
Buerman says, “ I hope that when people pass by or play here it sparks conversation of inclusion and kindness. I hope children of all ages and all abilities feel like their needs have been met and feel included. I hope children of all abilities play together as one despite their differences. I hope children get to be children here. I hope we all realize we are never too old to play. I hope kids are physically, socially, and emotionally challenged. I hope parents jump in and play and leave work behind for a moment. I hope people make memories here. I hope it’s a place people want to be. I hope together we can teach children to be inclusive and kind because I believe with all of my heart, by doing so we create a future of kind and inclusive adults. I hope when people are here they feel the sense of community I do. ”
She wants to thank everyone in the community so much for helping make this playground dream a reality . BUerman says, “Our supporters made this happen . They gave children an ounce of childhood back in an often dark and scary world. I hope when community members are here they are reminded how much it matters and recognize the very big important role they played in making it happen. “
Lastly , Buerman states ,”It has been an absolute honor to lead this organization and I can’t thank you enough for trusting me and helping me bring this special place to our island. I look forward to the future of the Four Hearts Foundation and hope we can continue to count on your support as we work together to improve the island we love.”
The Portsmouth Community playground is officially open and follows park rules of being open from dawn until dusk.
Four Hearts Foundation can be reached by emailing Fourheartsfoundation4@gmail.com.
Source: Submitted by Four Hearts Foundation
