WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — There are two parks in the city of Wilkes-Barre where playground equipment is available for everyone, including those with special needs.
The first is Kirby Park, which has been open for nearly two years.
"In partnership with the city, we built a second park called Nathan Gray Playground. Nathan Pray Playground has many pieces of special needs equipment," explained Mayor George Brown.
The city and the Special Needs Playground Committee are close to completing the fundraising needed to pursue these plans for another.
"The third one now is going to be The Bog in Miners Mills off of East Main Street," said Brown.
Mayor Brown says the plan is to replace most of this old equipment with new equipment that children with or without special needs can enjoy.
"Kirby Park was built by voluntary donations. Nathan Gray Park was built mainly by the city of Wilkes-Barre but in partnership with the special newspaper committee. So, it was financed that way. This park is going to be financed once again by voluntary donations. And then the city of Wilkes-Barre will help to finance the rest of it, that has to be put in there," added Brown.
That will include six new handball courts, pickleball courts, and other improvements.
"We're going to be putting new ADA-compliant parking and redoing our parking lot so that people with wheelchairs have accessibility to the park," said Brown.
To continue to make outdoor recreation available to everyone in the city.
Donations to the Special Needs Playground Committee can be made through The Luzerne Foundation by clicking here.