Fitness Zone Suitable for Individuals with Disabilities

The goal of this project is to build a fitness zone in Kendall Indian Hammocks Park that is appropriate for individuals with differing physical and developmental abilities. This is an idea that came about with the Community Habilitation Center in mind, a center located adjacent to the park committed to helping individuals with disabilities learn community and work skills. Our hope is that this project will be of great benefit to these individuals, as well as everyone in the local area. This is a project that will promote health and wellness for people of all abilities, with particular emphasis on those who often cannot engage in fitness activities due to their disabilities.

The first step is to get the location within the park approved by Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation, which we hope to achieve by December 2013. As soon as that's done, we must finalze a schematic plan for the fitness zone and compare quotes from vendors. Meanwhile, we have set preliminary fundraising goals for the project based on rough estimates obtained from previous similar projects.

Our goal for now is to raise $30,000 via this website, on which each donation will be matched by the Miami Foundation up to $10,000. We are also seeking additional funding sources. We are engaging other community partners such as the Community Habilitation Center and others to help raise funds, as well as apply for grants from different organizations (such as the Health Foundation of South Florida) and seek government funding. The goal is to have the project completed by end of July/beginning of August 2014.

The main purpose of this project is to promote health and wellness for people of all abilities. We are placing particular emphasis on those who often cannot engage in fitness activities due to their physical and developmental disabilities. This project seeks to enhance that opportunity not only for the individuals who are served by the Community Habilitation Center, but for all those who are challenged with disabilities, as well as those who are not disabled and want to be fit and live healthy lives.