MERRIMAC — The Commission on Disabilities recently announced the town received a $10,000 donation from Haverhill Bank to support the new Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant playground at the Dr. Frederick N. Sweetsir School.
The proposed inclusive playground will ensure that all children, regardless of physical, cognitive, sensory, or developmental abilities, have equal access to safe and engaging outdoor play.
Due to the generosity of local donors, Merrimac has a total of $14,250 that will be used toward the expected new playground, with a total funding goal of $225,000. The town has contracted Landscape Structures and O’Brien & Sons to assist in the development of the project. The commission has also applied for additional grant funding to support the project.
The current Sweetsir playground is over 30 years old. Parts of the plastic structures have been patched over and need additional repairs; the paint is peeling, and there are limited accessible pathways in the surrounding areas, making it difficult for children with disabilities to use the structure. The current playground is also made of metal components with concrete flooring, making it unusable in warm weather. Due to the current sand-based surface used on the playground, the town and district have seen a large drainage issue: when it rains, children can’t use the playground because of the large puddles left over from the storm.
In support of the new playground, Sweetsir students were asked what changes they would like to see. Some students asked for treehouses and hot tubs, while others wanted to see swing sets, ramps, and to get rid of the sand base that is there now.
Once funding is finalized, the new ADA-compliant playground will include some of the student-requested elements, including rubber flooring, double swirl slides, wheelchair-accessible swings, an inclusize cycler, a variety of climbing areas, and more.
The Merrimac Commission on Disabilities thanked Haverhill Bank, Ripple Fiber, Shea Concrete, TruNorth Bank, Needham Bank, and Eastern Bank for their generous donations to create a safe and inclusive playground for students and children of the Merrimac community.
“On behalf of the Merrimac Commission on Disabilities, I would like to thank all of our stakeholders, donors, and the Pentucket community for their unwavering support of this project. Watching parents, teachers, and students get excited about bringing a new fully inclusive playground to Merrimac is amazing to see. We look forward to watching this project come to fruition,” said Merrimac Commission on Disabilities Chairman Chris Gaudet.
The Commission also thanked the Merrimac PTO, Merrimac Select Board, State Sen. Barry Finegold, State Rep. Dawn Shand, Sweetsir administration and teachers, and Pentucket Regional School District administration and staff for their letters of support for this project.