Saturday, December 3, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Project Sevier at Coffee Talk
Project Sevier would like to thank the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to present the all inclusive playground to all those that attended Coffee Talk on Tuesday, November 15. It was great fellowship, great food, and a wonderful way to bring ideas to those who work hard in making Sevier County a top notch area to call home! (Photos from the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce)
Friday, November 4, 2011
Ground Broken for Special Playground to Serve All Kids
Cecil Page II, left, and Lisa Bremer of Project Sevier visit with Jordan Cates, a student at Trula Lawson Learning Center, during the groundbreaking Wednesday for an all-inclusive playground in Sevierville. It's a playground Jordan will be able to enjoy once completed. Photo by Jeff Farrell
SEVIERVILLE — A local group is asking for the public’s help in making sure that all children in Sevier County have at least one playground to enjoy. Project Sevier’s goal is to build a playground alongside LeConte Medical Center that would be accessible for children with special needs and disabilities. The planned location is a Sevierville greenway adjacent to the hospital campus, at the intersection of Millwood Drive and Middle Creek Road.
At a groundbreaking Wednesday, Project Sevier officials said they wanted to make sure that kids with disabilities had at least one place in the county where they could play alongside friends and family. Right now, no public playground in Sevier County is designed to be fully handicap-accessible.
“This would be the first time kids will be able to swing that were never able to swing,” President Lisa Bremer said. “It could be the first time they have an outdoor party with their friends where all kids get to participate.”
The playground was the brainchild of a group from Leadership Tomorrow, an organization that helps the county’s aspiring leaders learn about local government and nonprofit programs and encourages them to become more involved in their community. As part of the course, participants break into smaller groups to complete a community service project, and Bremer and her group hit upon the idea of a building the playground.
They obtained the land from the City of Sevierville, and formed Project Sevier as a nonprofit agency to collect donations to pay for it. They estimate the type of park they’re planning will cost about $100,000.
A class from Trula Lawson Early Childhood Center was ready to play on the playground when they saw an artist’s concept — questions like “Are we going to play on it?” came up more than once.
They couldn’t, of course, on Wednesday but after Project Sevier collects the money they’ll get a chance to pick among competing designs. Bremer said they will ask for designs based on specifications including the need to be fully accessible, the theme of honoring emergency responders and the size of the property. Once the designs are returned, they plan on letting the kids take part in selecting the design.
After all, officials said, the idea is to build a playground they’ll all enjoy.
.Imagine being in a park and sitting in a chair watching your brothers and sisters being able to swing and play ball while you just have to sit here,” Vice President Cecil Page II said. “We want to make this (playground) a reality so they won’t have to do that anymore. They’ll be just as incorporated as their family and friends.”
Donations can be mailed to Project Sevier Inc.; P.O. Box 4863; Sevierville, TN 37862. For more information, call 368-5455 or visit projectsevier.blogspot.com.
n jfarrell@themountainpress.com
Saturday, October 29, 2011
EDITORIAL An all-inclusive effort: Plans for special-needs park for kids deserve community support Read more: The Mountain Press - EDITORIAL An all inclusive effort Plans for special needs park for kids deserve community support
It’s called Project Sevier, and it deserves recognition, support and praise from this community for its intended purpose. A group from 2011 class of Leadership Tomorrow is trying to raise money to construct a special-needs playground for children, an all-inclusive park where the disabled or handicapped can go and play among equipment designed just for them.
Lisa Bremer, Cecil Page II and Darren Bailey were grouped during their Leadership Tomorrow experience and took on the playground as their special community project. They had noticed disabled children watching while other kids played at area parks, and it bothered them. Rather than just complain and express concern, they took it on themselves to do something.
They were given a tract of land next to LeConte Medical Center. They created a nonprofit organization. And now they are raising the money. That last part is a daunting challenge. The park they need to build will cost around $100,000. It has to be have specially made equipment, be wheelchair-accessible, and include a rubber floor that accommodates wheelchairs and active children.
The all-inclusive park, as they are calling it, would be a wonderful addition to Sevier County. It will give all kids, whether handicapped or able, a chance to play and have a good time. It’s hard to know how many special-needs kids would welcome the park, but it has to be hundreds. It’s really not fair that more public parks here do not accommodate such children.
A groundbreaking for the park is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 2 at the corner of Middle Creek and Millwood roads in Sevierville. In the meantime, if you feel motivated to help, contact Bremer at 368-5455 or email to projectsevier@gmail.com. You can get even more information about the park on the Project Sevier blog at http://projectsevier.blogspot.com and on the group’s Facebook page.
Printed in the Mountain Press on October 21, 2011
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