Guest guest Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 This story was sent to you by: denise -------------------- New playground designed for kids with special needs -------------------- By Nick Sortal Staff Writer October 27, 2004 and Luke Munson know their daughter is gone forever, so they have channeled their heartache to create a place for other children to smile and play. Caitlyn's Corral, a playground designed especially for the disabled, is planned for Vista View Park in Davie. In August, Broward County approved the master plan for an expansion of Vista View, and county commissioners tentatively voted Sept. 21 to name the playground area Caitlyn's Corral in honor of Caitlyn Ann Munson, who died of spinal muscular atrophy at age 9 months on Feb. 10, 2002. Caitlyn's Corral will be the first playground specifically for the disabled in Broward County, and is expected to draw visitors from throughout south Broward to Vista View Park. The playground will consist of a series of three play areas, serving three age groups. A water-play area, elevated swings and interactive features also are planned, and both disabled and able-bodied siblings will play side-by-side. " It covers every sensory limitation and every mobility disability, " said Munson, who, along with her husband, proposed the playground. " We try to level the playing field. Hopefully, it will make children not with limitations more open and more accepting. " The Munsons, who live about a mile from the park in western Davie, contacted Broward County Commissioner Lori Parrish a year ago about building a playground for the disabled. Parrish's granddaughter, Kourtney Schmidt, died in 1999 after being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, and Parrish's daughter, Schmidt, ran a project to build disabled-friendly Kourtney's Korner playground in St. Augustine. Spinal muscular atrophy limits muscle control, and those affected have trouble crawling, walking or even swallowing. Parrish teamed the Munsons with the Florida Engineering Society's Broward Chapter, which was seeking a charitable project to work on. The group has donated about $100,000 in time to the project, Munson said. Others have offered professional advice or letters of support. " It just snowballed. It seems that every person that finds out about it just takes off with it, " she said. The Munsons proposed the name and compiled 10 letters of support and 10 other signatures that were presented to the County Commission in support of the playground and its naming. " Disabled children spend countless hours in doctor's offices, therapy sessions or undergoing medical tests or surgeries, " wrote Kim Nesselt of Plantation. " Every day is a challenge for them. Every day they have to be brave. " They deserve a place where they can go to have some fun. " Luke Munson said the playground can combine fun and development. " There's a lot that these kids do in physical therapy that doesn't require a lot of equipment, " he said, such as rolling a ball up a channel and catching it upon the return. " But if it's in a park, in a fun setting, then it's something they want to do instead of have to do. " Vista View Park, which is built on a garbage landfill at 4001 SW 142nd Ave., opened as a 150-acre park July 13 of last year. Two months later, the county paid $12.8 million for a 61-acre addition that wasn't part of the landfill. Caitlyn's Corral -- keeping with Davie's Western theme -- will be constructed on this addition in about a year and will take up about an acre of land. The county will use $2 million from the Safe Parks and Land Preservation bond issue voters approved in 2000, and a $6.4 million Florida Communities Trust grant. Because the naming of county-owned property requires 30 days' notice, the final approval will not be until this week's commission meeting. " It's not as important that it's named after Caitlyn as it is just to build the park, " Luke Munson said. Nick Sortal can be reached at nsortal@... or . Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Visit Sun-Sentinel.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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