CARYVILLE, Tenn. — After around a year, construction has started on an all-inclusive playground in Caryville. The team behind the project, "Caryville Cares," said they hope the playground will be totally complete in 2023.
They gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday at 12 p.m. where they officially started building the playground. According to renderings of the playground, it will be a fenced-in area featuring different kinds of equipment for children with disabilities.
Children who use wheelchairs will be able to access some of the canopied play areas, while parents will be able to watch from a shaded sitting area. The renderings also show a short, cemented walkway surrounding the park. The play area itself will be covered in blue safety padding, according to the renderings.
"Every park in our community was built with able-bodied children in mind," said Brandon Johnson online, the project's chairman. "Very little (if any) consideration was ever given to those children who may have a disability. That’s why we are building Campbell County’s first all-inclusive playground that will be located in Caryville right off of the interstate."
They are still raising money for the park through a GoFundMe campaign. Anyone who wants to support the project can donate there.