MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon will soon have a new accessible playground if this crowdfunding campaign reaches its goal of raising $50,000 by June 15, 2023. If successful, the project led by Unlimited Play Inc. will receive a matching grant as part of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s (IHCDA) CreatINg Places program.
“Children of all backgrounds and abilities should have the opportunity to engage in play with their peers,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Avery’s Place Playground addresses that expectation and I am impressed by the initiative taken by Sydney to bring this idea forward.”
Funds from this campaign will be used to transform a vacated space into a destination playground designed for all children, including those with disabilities. Avery’s Place Playground will be the first inclusive playground built in Posey County.
“The Avery’s Place committee and I are so excited to bring this inclusive playground to Posey County,” said Sydney Deno, a local student who initiated the idea of the playground. “Every child deserves the freedom to play!”
Since the CreatINg Places program began in 2016, projects have raised more than $7.5 million in public funds and an additional $6.3 million in matching IHCDA funds.
The program is available to projects located in Indiana communities. Non-profit entities (with 501c3 or 501c4 status) and local units of government are eligible to apply.
Eligible projects must have a minimum total development cost of $10,000, where the recipient will receive $5,000 in IHCDA matching funds should it successfully raise $5,000 through Patronicity. IHCDA will provide matching grant funds up to $50,000 per project.
