Playground and Accessible Activity Path For El Dorado Families
Assist families and children live a more healthy and active life while supporting each other, building friendships and having fun!
Leader
Tyffani Herrman
Location
1305 South High Street El Dorado, KS 67042
About the project
Children deserve a safe, accessible and healthy environment for outdoor play in order to grow mentally, physically and socially.
There is also a need for a connecting sidewalk to be built that can accommodate residents with physical disabilities to be mobile throughout the entire apartment property and a safe space for children to ride their bikes and individuals and families to walk in order to promote activity and healthy lifestyles.
The Steps
Once cash is in hand we intend to immediately plan to begin installing equipment and sidewalk.
Community members who have been a part of ongoing projects at the apartment complex and have a heart for the community will assist with the install of the equipment with the supervision of an eqipment installation professional.
When the sidewalk is complete we would love to have a block party to celebrate the opening of an activity path. It would be wonderful to invite others throughout the community to celebrate the hard work that went into bringing this much needed accessibility to property. We also plan to have the sidewalk around the perimeter measured so residents can set goals for themselves based on distance.
Distribute the funds to the concrete company to beign the installation of the piece of sidewalk to complete an activity path.
Have entire length of all sidewalks measured in order to give an exact distance (example: two laps around is the equivalent of a mile) We will then create and print an arial map marking the distance.
Have a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the activity path and invite all donors along with community partners and community members.
Post pictures on social media along with an article to document the successful playground and activity path completion.
Share with news outlets
Why we‘re doing it
In May of 2018, the Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital Community Liaison began having meetings with Quail Ridge Residents. We quickly learned that a barrier in residents achieving heath equity was lack of play equipment with a safe distance as well has safe access for residents to travel to a park, playground or just to get out and be active.
A committee of residents was formed and continues to meet monthly, at a nearby nursing home, with the facilitation of the community liaison. During these meetings residents work towards ways to address health barriers in their neighborhood.
With a successful campaign, this project with bring residents and children residing at Quail Ridge closer together. Allowing children a safe space to release their energy, interact with their neighbors and be themselves. With the skilled nursing/assisted living facility directly next to the apartment complex residents and visitors of this facility will also benefit from the project and be able to utilize and/or watch children laugh, play and have fun.
With a walking path right outside their front doors this will give residents more initiative to set daily goals for themselves and give them an opportunity to engage with their neighbors around them.
This equipment will keep children busy and give them positive activities to do with their spare time while assist in keeping them from making poor choices, out of boredom.
The children that reside in the apartments deserve a safe space to play in addition to socialize, build active life styles, and develop socialization skills along with a multitude of other benefits. Mandy of these residents have experienced trauma in their short lives. Having a space to be active and interact with their peers is crucial. Also, if these children are able to have active play it directly leads to decreasing the risk for obesity and health concerns later down the road.
This project will be a huge "win" for the residents of Quail Ridge Apartments and will open up many more opportunities and spark initiative throughout the community.