Summerland Family Aims To Get Accessible Playground Built For Kids With Mobility Issues - Beritaja

Like about young children, Holland Van Gurp loves playgrounds, but the 1 astatine her schoolhouse only allows the Grade 1 student to usage a swing.

The six-year-old lives pinch quadriplegic cerebral palsy and has important mobility issues.

The playground astatine Trout Creek Elementary, however, is neither wheelchair- nor walker-friendly.

“The hardest point is each time erstwhile I prime her up from school…all the kids are playing. I get each the large questions of, ‘Why don’t my legs activity for illustration everybody else’s? Why can’t I play pinch my friends?'” Van Gurp said.

“So it’s — yeah, it’s highly difficult.”

Making matters worse, Van Gurp said, is the truth the playground is nearing extremity of life anyhow and will request to beryllium replaced.

She said she was shocked the schoolhouse district’s replacement plans did not see accessibility.

“I conscionable deliberation they get a definite fund and that’s each location is successful the budget,” Van Gurp said.

Refusing to judge it, Van Gurp and Holland are launching a fundraising run connected what is World Cerebral Palsy Day.

The family hopes to raise betwixt $80,000 to $100,000 complete the coming months — money she said will astatine slightest screen rubber surfacing to make the tract accessible.

“Then, hopefully, if location is immoderate near over, for instrumentality aliases definite things that we request for the playground,” Van Gurp said.

Late Monday, the Okanagan-Skaha School District stated successful an email to BERITAJA that it has approved a superior backing petition to the Ministry of Education and Child Care to support the improvement of an accessible playground astatine Trout Creek Elementary School.

“The schoolhouse territory anticipates receiving a consequence from the Ministry successful early outpouring 2026 regarding this backing request,” the email states.

But really overmuch the backing petition is for aliases whether it will beryllium approved is not known.

Van Gurp isn’t wasting time, saying she will fundraise until the money is there.

“Everybody should person the opportunity to beryllium capable to play,” Van Gurp said. “I don’t deliberation anybody should beryllium excluded and I deliberation successful 2025 erstwhile we’re doing playgrounds, we should beryllium building them to beryllium built for all.”

Monday’s first charismatic fundraiser included a locomotion led by Holland utilizing her walker, on pinch a cupcake sale.

Van Gurp said location will beryllium galore much fundraisers to come.

The family will beryllium mounting up an online fundraiser to thief support the cause.

For those wishing to donate now, money transfers could beryllium sent to vangurpholland44@gmail.com.

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