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New Park To Fill Special Need

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By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2007

TAMPA - Stefani Busansky's vision of a playground for all children - including those with disabilities - is finally coming to fruition.

Six years after she had the idea for Freedom Playground, Busansky worked with about 10 volunteers Sunday at Macfarlane Park on North MacDill Avenue, bolting together picnic tables.

Construction of the park began in July and is slated for completion in mid-January. Community volunteers have worked the past few Sunday afternoons to put together important pieces, such as the picnic tables and the foundation for a swing set.

The group's efforts will continue for at least the next four Sundays, and the group could use more volunteers to help with the job, Busansky said.

"It's kind of surreal that it's almost done, because it's been such a long time coming," she said. "I pretty much come out here every day and pinch myself."

Since she started raising money five years ago, Busansky, founder and president of the Freedom Playground Foundation, has helped raise more than $800,000 for the playground's first phase. The organization still needs $50,000 to $60,000 for the second phase, she said.

To get this far, the organization received about $400,000 from the city and a $150,000 grant from CVS Pharmacy Trust, Busansky said.

When the playground is complete, it will have swings that children of all abilities can use, a playhouse, three-level sandbox and a frog and turtle sculpture.

The park will be the perfect place for her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah, who has cerebral palsy, Busansky said.

There will be gardens raised so that someone in a wheelchair can see it easily, and a reading room with seats. The playground, projected to be roughly 25,000 square feet, also will feature Braille signs and a path with musical instruments.

Volunteer Robin Rosenberg plans to come each Sunday she can to help finish the park.

"We are so excited about it finishing up and can't wait for it to be done, so we can watch the children come here," she said.

The playground is geared for people of all ability levels.

"We designed this in a way that's inclusive," Busansky said. "There are a lot of things here that someone with a disability would not be able to do."

Similar all-access playgrounds already exist in Brandon, Clearwater and Safety Harbor.

Busansky plans to continue with the foundation after Freedom Playground is complete. She wants to build a similar playground at Grady Elementary, where her daughter is a third-grader.

Construction on that playground might start in January and take a month to complete, costing about $200,000, she said.

HOW TO HELP

VOLUNTEER: E-mail stefani @freedomplayground.org.

DONATE: Freedom Playground Foundation, PO Box 320295, Tampa FL 33679-2295

WEB SITE: www.freedom playground.org

PHONE: (813) 254-3804

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.

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