Dozens of children and their families joined Premier Alliances, Inc. and its partners in Veterans Memorial Park to celebrate the opening of the Sierra Vista’s first accessible playground designed especially for children who use wheelchairs and other mobility assisting devices.

Funded primarily through a $50,000 Innovation Grant from the Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona awarded to Premier Alliances last year, the playground offers an inclusive play opportunity in a public space open to all children, thanks to the partnership with the City of Sierra Vista.

“I’ve been dying for this to happen” said Amy Riemann, a mom of three with one son, 8-year-old Michael, who relies on a wheelchair to get around.

Speakers at a short ceremony celebrating the opening of the playground included Premier Alliances Board President Jennifer Graeme, Legacy Foundation CEO Margaret Hepburn, Sierra Vista Mayor Rick Mueller and Laura Wilson, the leisure and library services director for Sierra Vista.

“It’s really cool for me, because I have cerebral palsy. When I first got here, it was all sand and hard to walk in. I think it’s really cool that they have equipment that everybody can use,” said Joel Evans, another Premier Alliances Board Member who attended the event, along with Board Treasurer Sid Downey.

“It’s great to see that the city is evolving that way. I think it’s important because now everybody can use the playground,” Evans said.

Featuring two pairs of supportive swings, a merry-go-round, spinning seat and a full wheelchair swing, the playground offers several new play options that were previously unavailable to children with additional needs. All of the accessible equipment is situated atop a supportive rubberized surface, allowing for safe and easy navigation of all of the new equipment via wheelchair.