Paul Bunyan Inclusive Playground

Bemidji Rotarians and local government officials broke ground for the $440,000 project on May 19. Building of the playground took place the weekend of June 16-19th 2016 and the playground was opened to the public in July. The Bemidji Rotary Club has committed to raising funds, with rallied support from the community, to support the construction of this universally accessible playground for all ages and abilities to enjoy at the Bemidji waterfront. An official Grand-Opening will take place on September 17th during the Worldwide Day of Play. 

There are still a few funds left to raise to complete this project initiative.

The playground, with a northwoods theme, will have a rubberized surfacing so children of all abilities can access and enjoy the play equipment, which will include ramps, slides and climbing apparati. There will be molded, high-back swings with harnesses and a high-back "omni spinner" with transfer points for children who use wheelchairs and walkers. Sensory-rich elements also will provide activities for those with developmental disabilities.

"Unless you are a parent holding the child left out, you may not not notice the challenges these children face," said Elizabeth Engum, whose daughter has cerebral palsy, in a press release from the Bemidji Rotary Club. "Unfortunately, when others are accessing playground equipment, those with special needs are forced to sit out. While they are sitting out, able-bodied children are also missing out on the opportunity to gain understanding, appreciation and acceptance of others who may be different from themselves."

"I don't know if I can put into words how excited I am about this," said Courtney Aiken Gifford, who had been leading the project, in the release. "It's exciting for everyone in the community."

The Bemidji Rotary Club has long had a tradition of supporting playground development in Bemidji, having funded and/or assembled those at parks such as Lehmann, Cameron and at the Village of Hope. Rotary also funded and assembled the existing playground located at the waterfront.

The inclusive playground project started in 2011, when city staff heard from area residents that a universally accessible playground was truly desired, said Marcia Larson, the city's parks and recreation director. Bemidji then partnered with Shane's Inspiration, a California-based organization that helps plan and develop such playgrounds, which sent staff here to lead a community meeting that led to the preliminary design for the playground.

"The Rotary Club, especially the inclusive playground committee, they've been really great," said Larson, the parks director. "... They've really stepped up and committed completely to getting this funded. What they've done in a fairly short amount of time has been amazing."

The Bemidji Rotary Club has had a strong connection to the Paul Bunyan Park, where the new playground will be located, expected in 2016. It was Rotary club members who first created Paul and Babe nearly eight decades ago, and the club also funded and constructed the Rotary Pavilion.

The waterfront is the first stop for thousands of annual visitors to Bemidji. Adding an inclusive playground to the renovated Paul Bunyan Park provides a great first impression to those visitors and allows them to meet our community face-to-face. It really says our community cares about people of all abilities, that we are striving to be inclusive.

OmniSpin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETTMSyp1_eE

Oodle Swing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiN6wPTsikA

Sway Fun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80JLE22hmT0

RollerSlide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JSDIoIM0qY