TOWN OF TONAWANDA (WKBW) — A new inclusive playground is opening at Kenney Field in the Town of Tonawanda.
New York State Assemblyman Bill Conrad announced today that $80,000 in state funding will be allocated to the Town of Tonawanda Youth, Parks and Recreation Department.
The goal of the park is to provide a place for all children to play regardless of their physical or developmental capabilities.
$50,000 will be used to construct the playground including ramps, ground-level play areas, and sensory activities.
$30,000 will be used to purchase 26 automated external defibrillators or AEDs. The new AEDs will replace the current inventory at each park, pool, youth center, golf course, and library given the device only lasts between 10 to 15 years.
State law mandates that AEDs be accessible in all locations of public assembly to assist anyone who may experience sudden cardiac arrest.
“As a former Tonawanda Town Board member and the former chair of the town’s YPR Committee, I know that a longtime priority has been the creation of an inclusive public playground that every child could enjoy. I am thrilled to offer the town and its taxpayers some assistance toward this dearly held goal, especially as we mark the 75th anniversary of the town’s Recreation Department. It is also tremendously rewarding to support the maintenance of the town’s supply of AEDs, which in medical emergencies have proven to be worth their weight in gold. I am so proud of the town’s YPR Department and staff, who work every day to offer this community top-notch facilities and programming – both of which so enhance our quality of life.”
Playground pieces at Kenney Field will be repurposed elsewhere in the Town of Tonawanda.
