A Community Rallies Around Inclusive Play
Building Bridges Inclusion Park
Rebekah Park - Greensburg, IN
A vision for an inclusive playground close to home
In 2019, Former Greensburg Chief-of-Police, Brendan Bridges, visited an inclusive playground in Cincinnati with his son, Jaxon, and left inspired. He had the unique opportunity to watch Jaxon, who is autistic and non-verbal, participate in a variety of activities and use a variety of equipment with other kids of all abilities, who even made a point of assisting and supporting Jaxon throughout the day. An advocate for people with disabilities since fathering Jaxon, Brendan decided it was time to bring a similar play space to his home in Greensburg. Also home to Disability & Autism Services of Indiana (DASI), Greensburg was a natural fit for an ambitious project. The project was formally announced in partnership with the City of Greensburg and Decatur County Parks and Recreation in 2020. Once underway, Brendan enlisted Miracle Playgrounds of Indiana, Miracle Recreation, and the University of Cincinnati’s Dr. Tina Stanton to begin design work for the new playground.
Playground fundraising - making the vision a reality
Based on the scale of the project’s ambitions, the team tentatively planned a multi-year fundraising effort, with the goal of the new park opening in 2026. We had other ideas! With partnership from Miracle Playgrounds of Indiana, fundraising expertise from Miracle Recreation, and the Decatur County Community Foundation, the project team put together a strategy to engage individuals and businesses within the community, as well as government and other development agencies. Within just 9 months, Building Bridges Inclusion Park raised nearly $1 million via private charitable donations, matching gifts, and government/developmental grants. Instead of 2026, the project broke ground in July of 2023 and opened just two months later.
Inclusive playground equipment and surfacing
Building Bridges Inclusive Park at Rebekah Park in Greensburg, IN now offers ADA compliant equipment that can be enjoyed in unison by children aged 2-12 of all abilities. Upon visiting the park, you will find state-of-the-art Miracle playground equipment and wheelchair accessible turf safety surfacing. The centerpiece is Miracle’s Mega Tower and spiral slide. The primary play unit is wheelchair accessible via ramp. Community fundraisers contributed to the purchase of Miracle’s Alta-Glide Inclusive Glider and Glide along. Other wonderful inclusive-play options include a number of Miracle Museum sensory panels/stations, and an inclusive whirl. For younger children ages 2-5, the park features Miracle’s Mini City equipment. For older children, the Pegasus webscape, Accelerator Swing, and Viper Swing are additional highlights.
