Kiwanis Club adding accessible playground equipment to Stroudsburg, Eastburg parks

Maria Francis, Pocono Record
·3 min read

Six park playgrounds throughout East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg areas are getting upgraded with equipment accessible for children with disabilities in an effort to make them more inclusive. This has been made possible by the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs.

On Nov. 1, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at Creekview Park to celebrate the new equipment and the Kiwanis' 100th anniversary.

"We wanted to do something special to commemorate the 100-year anniversary, and with this audacious goal of raising $200,000 to purchase and install handicap-accessible playground equipment for six local parks within our community and to erect a pavilion at Helen Amhurst Park, we succeeded," said Steve Gandley, president of the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs.

The equipment has already been installed at four of the six parks: Dansbury Park, Zacharias Pond Park, Michael Moore Park and Creekview Park. It will be installed soon at Stroudsburg Borough Park and Helen Amhurst Park.

The equipment includes swing sets, merry-go-rounds and picnic tables. Additionally, the project includes a 30-by-40-foot pavilion and history sign that is currently in the planning stage to be erected at Helen Amhurst Park.

New accessible swings have been installed at Creekview Park in Stroudsburg as part of a 100th anniversary project by the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs to bring playground equipment accessible to children with disabilities to parks throughout East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg. A ribbon cutting was held Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023.
New accessible swings have been installed at Creekview Park in Stroudsburg as part of a 100th anniversary project by the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs to bring playground equipment accessible to children with disabilities to parks throughout East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg. A ribbon cutting was held Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023.

"Normal playground equipment is not conducive to all kids. This handicap-accessible equipment is more secure and safer," said Gandley. "And it allows kids that don't have an outlet to be able to use playground equipment and exercise and enjoy the parks… instead of sitting on the sidelines watching other kids on the swings. Now they can participate too."

According to Gandley, Autumn Hawthorne, the executive director of the Stroud Region Open Space and Recreation Commission, "was an enormous help" in identifying the needs in the six community parks for which the Kiwanis purchased equipment.

Gandley said the Kiwanis club brainstormed ideas and ran with this one that came from two of their members. "We jumped on it because our mission statement says we're an organization of worldwide volunteers dedicated to positively changing the world one child and one community at a time."

State Rep. Tarah Probst was on hand to celebrate the event and said, "It's great to have every child feel they have a place to go and play no matter what their ability is. It's wonderful for the community and the parents. By the Kiwanis Club doing this, raising the money and making these accessible playgrounds for kids of all abilities happen, just really brings the community together and it's really sweet. Something like this was long overdue in our community and I'm proud of them for doing it for us."

An accessible merry-go-round has been installed at Creekview Park in Stroudsburg as part of a 100th anniversary project by the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs to bring playground equipment accessible to children with disabilities to parks throughout East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg. A ribbon cutting was held Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023.
An accessible merry-go-round has been installed at Creekview Park in Stroudsburg as part of a 100th anniversary project by the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs to bring playground equipment accessible to children with disabilities to parks throughout East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg. A ribbon cutting was held Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023.

Gandley said it took a village to fundraise and gather donations to total the almost $200,000 needed. The organizations and foundations that helped fund the project included Kiwanis International Children's Fund, Hughes Foundation, ESSA Foundation, Abeloff Foundation, Frailey Insurance, Ray Price Honda, Pocono Irish American Club, Local Share Account of Monroe County, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Claus G. Jordan Endowment and the Kiwanis Pennsylvania District Foundation.

For more information about the Kiwanis organization or membership, email etiennegandley@gmail.com or text or call 201-663-3593.

Maria Francis covers K-12 education and real estate, housing and development for the Pocono Record. Reach her at mfrancis@poconorecord.com.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Kiwanis celebrate 100th anniversary by upgrading local parks