Volunteers sought to build inclusive playground in Fostoria

FOSTORIA — Not all playgrounds are created equal.But it's equality that the non-profit organization Wood County Plays has in mind when it builds one of its own.And with the help of Wood County Plays and the Fostoria community, the city will soon have an inclusive playground in City Park, providing special-needs children and their families opportunities for play that traditional playgrounds may not. This enables those children and families to interact with each other and those who have more typical lives.The inclusive playground is intended to serve youngsters not only with physical accessibility concerns, but also those with sensory, emotional and/or cognitive disorders.Wood County Plays is seeking volunteers to take part in constructing the local inclusive playground on July 21 and 22. The culmination of the project will come after nearly two years of raising close to $1 million.Kristin VanCuren Koester is a Fostoria native and current resident who has made a career of bettering children's lives. In addition to working as preschool coordinator for Perrysburg Schools, she owns and operates Calico Charlie's Candy & More in downtown Fostoria with her husband, Matt Koester, and serves on the Wood County Plays board of directors.Toledo television meteorologist Ryan Wichman and his wife, Kaley, founded Wood County Plays in 2019. The organization has previously built inclusive playgrounds in Perrysburg and Bowling Green."When I first heard about Wood County Plays, I was super interested in hearing what their plans were and seeing if I could get involved in some way," VanCuren Koester said. "I never dreamt that we might have the opportunity to bring this amazing group of people to Fostoria. Because Wood County Plays is a non-profit organization made up of a volunteer board, it takes tremendous dedication to work on these projects on top of family life and full-time jobs. This entire project has just demonstrated more than ever that Fostoria is made up of some of the most giving people around. It's not just the experience of building the playground that I think is so great, but also what I think an inclusive playground can bring to our town."In addition to helping special-needs youngsters, accompanying adults' needs are kept in mind in the construction of an inclusive playground."For example, many playgrounds have mulch around the play equipment, whereas Wood County Plays' inclusive playground has poured rubber," VanCuren Koester said. "This allows individuals with walkers, wheelchairs and even strollers to more easily access the equipment. So, even if the individual playing doesn't require a wheelchair, poured rubber allows the grandma with a walker to be on the playground with her grandchildren more easily."The inclusive playground will be located in City Park near the planned splash pad, "which will really make it a fun destination once all the work is completed," VanCuren Koester said.The equipment for the playground consists of ready-to-assemble parts. Volunteer work is sought for two reasons, VanCuren Koester said: It provides for community togetherness; and, it helps to keep costs low.She said volunteers, at present, are most needed during the afternoons of the two construction days. "Participating in an experience such as this build really gives participants a sense of pride and ownership," she said.Registration to volunteer and further information are available online at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EAAAE2AA6FFC52-57040490-wood#/. More information is also available at www.wcplays.org.