WABASH – (December 15,2017) – The Wabash County YMCA will soon be the site of a new indoor playground area called the Rainforest Play Park, thanks to a matching grant from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA).
The campaign for the Rainforest Play Park that started six weeks ago gave Wabash County until December 15th to raise $50,000 in order to receive the matching grant from IHCDA. Wabash County YMCA Vice President of Development, Jay Driskill, said that goal was reached just in time through a few final verbal pledges. “Our community really came together and gave so generously to make this dream a reality. We look forward to our kids having a great place to be active!” He cited key donations from the Halderman Family, for whom the space is currently named, as well as donations from Parker and Katie Beauchamp, Rich and Kristy Church, Steve and Lisa Ford, the City of Wabash, the Agness Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Parkview Wabash Hospital. “Many, many online donations came in from the community, ranging from $6, and every donation was needed to get that matching grant from IHCDA.”
The Rainforest Play Park will include an indoor playground where children can climb, slide, jump, and run. A bouldering wall will provide a challenge for older children, and an interactive virtual pond will be in the middle of the space. The goals of the space are to provide an area where younger children can explore and play, particularly in inclement weather.
The Rainforest Play Park will open to the public in late February, but donors will have a preview play date in mid-February. Thereafter, the space will have weekly hours open to the public free of charge. “The IHCDA grant is specifically to make this a public gathering place, and the YMCA mission is to provide opportunities to all families, regardless of income or background, so the design committee discussed from the very beginning how to make this publicly accessible without any fee,” said design committee member and YMCA Communications Specialist Kendall Hoover.
The space will be a field trip destination for local schools and will be available to the public to schedule for birthday parties and family gatherings. The Rainforest Play Park will also have extended hours for YMCA members. Financial assistance for YMCA membership is available – in fact, YMCA CEO Clint Kugler reported that 1/3 of Wabash County YMCA members receive financial assistance for membership.