Ann Martin paints part of Daniel's Den Playground Sunday afternoon. Martin was among the thousands of volunteers who helped make the long-in-the-planning-stage playground south of Mountville a reality this week.
Denise Haldeman, left, and Jodi Carpenter work on paintings that will be part of Daniel's Den, a playground going up south of Mountville that will allow children who have physical disabilities to play alongside children who do not. Haldeman is the mother of the 5-year-old boy, Daniel, for whom the playground is named.
A dream realm of a pirate ship, a climbing wall, slides, swings and sand boxes took shape south of Mountville in less than a week.
This dream world — known as Daniel's Den Playground — is the culmination of a two-year campaign by Centerville resident Denise Haldeman to create a place where children with disabilities can come and play.
Haldeman, whose 5-year-old son Daniel has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, emphasized the playground is meant for all children, not just those with disabilities.
"Kids that are typical and that have disabilities really benefit by being together and learning compassion, acceptance and patience," Haldeman said.
Since Tuesday, more than 2,000 volunteers have turned out to the site adjacent to Manor Church, including service organizations, youth groups, vo-tech students and churches. Workers expected to have much of the construction done by Sunday night.
A team of 15 construction captains has been at the site from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, telling the volunteers what piece needed to be screwed into what place.
Volunteers ranged from teens to people in their 70s and have come from as far away as New Jersey.
Haldeman said everyone that volunteered worked selflessly, with some people taking a week of vacation to help.
"The community has really stepped up — a lot of dedicated people," Haldeman said. "The friendships that people have formed this week I think will last a lifetime."
The group has raised more than $200,000 since the fall toward the $375,000 project.
The biggest challenge now, Haldeman said, is coming up with an additional $150,000 to finish it. The group has been working on getting donors and grants, and it hopes to have enough money to finish by the time school lets out in June.
Daniel's Den will remain closed to the public until the final money is generated to install a poured rubber surface all over the playground. That surface will allow wheelchairs and people on crutches to get around easily.
The playground, occupying 12,500 square feet, has several special details, such as composite plastic instead of wood to limit splinters and maintenance.
All the slides have wide ramping to allow people on wheelchairs to get up and high-back swings for children who need more support.
Haldeman said the group got a lot of input on what ought to be at the playground from parents with children in Intermediate Unit 13, S. June Smith Center and Schreiber Pediatric Rehabilitation Center, all of which serve children with disabilities.
The playground designer, Leathers and Associates of Ithaca, N.Y., also went to Central Manor Elementary School in May and interviewed students in kindergarten through sixth grade to get ideas.
Haldeman said her favorite part is the elevated sandboxes for children in wheelchairs. The sandboxes have corner chairs built for children that need support when they're sitting.
She said sandboxes have always been her son's favorite part of any playground.
"I think that's where we're going to be hanging out," Haldeman said.
When it opens, Daniel's Den will be one of only a handful of playgrounds built with disabled children in mind.
Right now the closest such playground is Possibility Place in Lower Paxton Township near Harrisburg.
Haldeman said she often would drive Daniel to that playground and wished there was one closer.
Janis Creason, who helped make Possibility Place a reality in June 2006, said that playground and Daniel's Den have broken ground for accessibility, including 5-foot-wide ramps on the equipment.
Creason said families with parents who are in wheelchairs or have other disabilities also can use the equipment with their children.
In addition, the emphasis on accessibility will increase safety for everyone, Creason said.
"(Daniel's Den) definitely sets the bar really high as far as accessibility goes," Creason said. "By starting with accessibility as the guideline, it turns out to be a win-win for everybody."
Daniel's Den is still looking for donations to complete the project. Checks can be mailed to: TFEC, to Daniel's Den Playground, PO Box 501, Mountville, Pa. 17554. For more information go to the group's Web site at www.danielsdenplayground.org.
E-mail: myoder@lnpnews.com
