IONIA COUNTY — A school in Ionia County had no place for students to let loose and play. When Freedom Acres School got renovated, staff decided it was time for a playground, but they wanted it to include everyone.
Freedom Acres staff and parents got to work to raise the money. Freedom Acres Mom Brandy Durrant held a golf scramble that collected $25,000, teachers sold items they no longer needed at home and inside their classrooms.
Today, the school has a beautiful, state-of-the-art, accessible playground for the whole community, by the whole community. Students like Ruger Eveleth, love being able to come outside and swing during school. After school, his Mom Hali can join him afterward for a whole lot more fun.
"Here Ruger, he doesn't have a disability, he's just a kid playing on the playground. He's one of his brothers, one of his peers, there's nothing setting him back. It's been amazing to see this, we can't get enough of it," said Eveleth.
"Do you want to go to the slide? We can race as fast as we want?" said Hali Eveleth, Ruger's mom and parent at Freedom Acres.
"This is the first time that we've been able to use the chair and go up to a slide, you know usually we have to get him out and carry him and that's very difficult, here, we can wheel all around, we can do anything we want here," said Eveleth.
"Big curve, big curve! Go! Ready, turn! Go, go, go! Yay! Ruger is going so fast," said Eveleth.
Here, all of Ruger's peers can play.
"Every aspect of our life, there's things she's not included in. I mean there is nothing set up like this that is all-inclusive that she can participate in, a park, a school, a building. Living in rural Michigan, a downtown area, nothing is handicapped accessible," said Brandy Durrant, Emmy's mom and parent at Freedom Acres.
Many of the kids spinning and swinging and sliding go to Freedom Acres School. But this accessible play space isn't just meant for the students.
"We were thinking beyond just a school playground, we wanted a space that would be available to our whole county, so they didn't have to travel all the way to Lansing or the far ends of Grand Rapids to be able to have some of those experiences because that's just not a possibility for some families," said Ethan Ebenstein, superintendent Ionia County Intermediate School District.
"I was here with my own kids and another family was playing and I overheard a Mom say to her daughter, 'you know, we could invite Grandpa out to play for the first time because his wheelchair can go on this surface and he can be part of our playdate, and that, that was our why,'" said Angela Miller, Principal at Freedom Acres, Ionia County Intermediate School District.
Back in Ruger's world, the slide's been conquered, and the sky's the limit.
This Thursday, November 17 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Freedom Acres School is partnering with Renew Mobility for an open house and resource fair.
There will be many organizations and refreshments. If you need mobility equipment, Renew Mobility can set you up with the resources you need. If you'd like to donate gently used wheelchairs, canes, and walkers, Renew Mobility will put them to good use.
To learn more about the non-profit,click here. For more details on the open house,visit here.
