It was Bennett McClurken-Gibney’s dream to have his fifth birthday party at the Park 365 in Richmond. It was the closest park a child like Bennett, who had spinal muscular atrophy and used a wheelchair, could play in.
But it would have been too far for his friends, his mom, Kara McClurken, said. But his desire stayed in Kara’s mind for some time, even after he died in February of 2018. Kara just said Bennett’s death was “sudden and unexpected,” but she didn’t say more.
“His request just really stuck in my heart,” said Kara.
The day after Bennett died, Kara and Bennett’s dad went to Johnson Elementary School, where Bennett went, to drop off green eggs and ham. His class was having a Dr. Suess day and Bennett signed up to bring the famous dish.
As they were leaving the school, they walked past the school’s playground. The couple looked at each other seemingly with the same thought.
What if they made his dream come true?
Kara immediately connected with the city’s Parks and Recreation to turn Bennett’s dream into reality. She didn’t want people with disabilities in Charlottesville to have to travel far to enjoy a park like the Richmond one the family would visit.
That same year, Bennett’s Village was created. Kara created the nonprofit organization for the city’s first all-abilities park.
The city agreed to enter a partnership with Bennett’s Village, but the organization would have to raise the money for construction, Kara said.
The city did not have the money to fund a project like Bennett’s Village, said Riaan Anthony, director of parks and recreation for the city. But the two parties came to an agreement; Bennett’s Village will take care of the funding, and once construction is complete, the city will take care of all maintenance.
“This partnership with Bennett’s Village has provided a creative solution, ensuring that the community gets the much-needed playground while the City fulfills its obligation to maintain it,” said Anthony in an email to Charlottesville Tomorrow. “Without this agreement, it is unlikely that we would have been able to secure the funds for this project in a timely manner, if at all.”
Within its first month, the project raised $40,000 on GoFundMe.
Shortly after, Kara and Parks and Recreation worked together to decide on which park to build Bennett’s Village in. They eventually landed on Pen Park as it has the most space for what Kara envisioned for the park. The park is expected to span across four acres.
The park is nearing completion on its first phase — an all-accessible treehouse. Once completed, an “accessible” path will be added around the treehouse for people to traverse through. The treehouse is expected to open later this month, whereas the accessible path will be finished in the spring, said Kara.
The other phases will be dependent on the funding Bennett’s Village receives and how it could construct new features without closing the current ones offered at Pen Park, Kara said.
Building a park like this takes time, Kara said. She said she anticipates another ten years before Bennett’s Village is complete.
All-inclusive parks have grown in popularity over the last 20 years, said Ingrid Kanics, the founder of Kanics Inclusive Design, a firm dedicated to creating inclusive play spaces for communities. Kanics estimates that there are about 1,000 parks in the country.
What we’re trying to build here is community and acceptance and inclusion.
—Kara McClurken on Charlottesville’s first all-abilities playground
There are a number of ways to gauge the need for an all-inclusive park, said Kanics. Engaging with the community is the initial first step, Kanics said. This way, researchers are able to see which disabilities are more common in that area.
“We need to make sure our playgrounds are accessible to folks who are either living in the community using those services or coming into the neighborhood to utilize those services,” said Kanics, who hopes to work with Bennett’s Village for its next construction phase.
Researchers behind parks like Bennett’s Village ask nearby businesses, groups and organizations — such as rehab facilities, school districts, therapy clinics and hospitals — and see what they would want to see at the park.
Kara’s engaged with numerous community members, including medical professionals, special education teachers, parents with children with disabilities, individuals with disabilities and more to collect data on what the park should feature.
Through the conversations she’s had with community members, Kara’s landed on a myriad of ideas to have for Bennett’s Village. For instance, the organization hopes to construct an area with specific equipment for physical therapists to host outdoor sessions with their patients. The organization also hopes to build a wrap-around fence after all construction is finished to give an added layer of protection to children and adults who are prone to wandering off. Similarly, the park is also looking for non-plastic alternative material to build slides to avoid interference with cochlear implants.
“Everytime I talk with another family or community member, I learn something new,” Kara said. “What we’re trying to build here is community and acceptance and inclusion.”
Inclusivity remains at the heart of the mission of Bennett’s Village. She doesn’t want the park to be limited to children — she wants people of all ages to have a place at the park.
Parks like Bennett’s Village cost an average of $2.5 million to create, though they can cost far more depending on what the park intends to feature, said Kanics. Bennet’s Village is projected to cost around $7 million once completed, which is similar to other parks of its magnitude around the country, Kara said. So far, Bennett’s Village raised over half a million for the treehouse.
Despite the timeline, Kara anticipates Bennett’s Village not only being a park for people in the area to enjoy, but a destination park as well.
“We are changing this space, but we’re also changing other spaces as well, which is a pretty awesome legacy to leave for Bennett and for all the kids who just want to play,” Kara said.
Take Action
If you’re interested in learning more about Charlottesville’s first all-abilities play ground, Bennett’s Village, you can head to its website.
