VINCENNES – Vincennes residents will soon have a new accessible place for children to play if this crowdfunding campaign reaches its goal of raising $14,500 by Oct. 23, 2023. If successful, the project led by the Vincennes Rotary Foundation will receive a matching grant as part of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s (IHCDA) CreatINg Places program.
“Creating a safe and comforting place for all families to spend time together is essential to quality of life,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “This memorial and playground will greatly benefit Vincennes, allowing children and their parents to make memories for years to come.”
Contributions to this project will fund the construction of monkey bars, slides and ADA compliant swings for all ages and abilities. The playground will also feature sculptural musical play flowers and a memorial stone.
In May 2022, the Harrington family tragically lost their daughter, Christyn. In the following months, family and friends sought a place of community where they could connect to others with similar experiences.
“Christyn’s Place will be a comforting space for healing and fellowship for those that have lost a little one,” said Christyn’s mother, Chelsea Harrington. “Please consider a donation to Christyn’s Place as a way of supporting the life in our thriving community and the public parks by providing a place for families in the area to celebrate the life of their children who have passed away. We hope to create a space where families and friends can come together to find peace, create new memories and share the ones we will forever hold in our hearts. Together we have the strength to stop grief from casting shadows on our happy memories.”
Since the CreatINg Places program began in 2016, projects have raised more than $7.8 million in public funds and an additional $6.6 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.
