DELAVAN — After years of fundraising and planning, the Board of Directors of the Never Say Never Playland announced an agreement this with the City of Delavan to build the playland at Gordon Yadon Park in Delavan.
“Leaders of Delavan immediately saw the vision and benefits of the playland and embraced our vision completely,” Dusti Grenus, Founder of Never Say Never Playland was quoted as saying in a news release. “They took all the right steps to learn more about the project; talking with our design firm, taking field trips to various playgrounds in our area and talking to the leaders behind those projects.
“Together we have found a great home in Walworth County for our playland for children of all abilities. The City of Delavan will be getting a state of the art playground where all children of all abilities can play together.”
The Never Say Never Playland will be an approximately 13,000-square-foot playground featuring activities and equipment that will be accessible to children and adults of all physical abilities.
Fully fenced and constructed with an engineered cushioned play surface, the playground will feature components designed for children of varying abilities to play together, including a wheelchair swing and an accessible merry-go-round.
The playground will be designed by Leathers & Associates, a world renown designer of inclusive playgrounds, and will be built by more than 2,000 community volunteers over the course of two weeks.
“The decision to make Delavan the home of Never Say Never Playland was in large part facilitated by the warm and welcoming reception from the Delavan Parks and Recreation Commission, Parks and Recreation staff, and Mayor Ryan Schroeder, according to the news release.
We are deeply grateful for the support and hospitality shown by the leaders in Delavan,” said Jessica Mowery, Board Member of Never Say Never Playland. “We are inspired by the commission’s passion for enriching the lives of local families and children. Their commitment to creating a vibrant community for residents truly impresses us. Our hope all along has been to find a community that will embrace and cherish Never Say Never Playland for years to come. The City of Delavan has met and far exceeded that hope.”
The Delavan City Administrator, Brian Wilson, is assisting Never Say Never Playland in identifying and applying for various grants to help fund the project.
“We want to thank those who have supported this project over the years,” said Cathy Willis, Treasurer for Never Say Never Playland. “The City of Delavan has given us their full support and we are grateful knowing that everyone who has donated to this great organization will be pleased to see this all come together.”