Oyster Bay, NY - May 24, 2016 - The Junior League of Long Island & the Town of Oyster Bay have partnered together in The Junior League’s Project Playground. Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Rebecca M. Alesia announced that the Town of Oyster Bay will soon be adding a new inclusive playground to Haypath Park, which is located on Haypath Road in Old Bethpage.
The project is expected to be complete ahead of the summer season. “Inclusive playgrounds are designed to be fully useable and exciting to children with a wide spectrum of abilities," Councilwoman Alesia said. “It is more than just a handicapped accessible play area. This playground will be designed so that all children will be able to play side by side with one another in a sensory rich and socially inclusive environment.”
The new playground will be constructed in partnership with the Junior League of Long Island® (JLLI), which not only raised funds for the project, but will also provide some of their membership to help build it.
“Junior League of Long Island is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers,” Councilwoman Alesia said. “They approached the Town about supporting the development of this inclusive playground and, after discussing the logistics, Haypath Park was selected as a well-suited central location. Needless to say, we are thrilled about the prospect of our residents enjoying this unique playground and are grateful to JLLI for helping make it a reality.”
Junior League of Long Island’s current President, Joel Blainey, said her members appreciated the opportunity to work with the Town of Oyster Bay. “Junior League of Long Island and the Town of Oyster Bay share a philosophy of identifying and fulfilling community needs,” Mrs. Blainey said. “Initiative such as this inclusive playground, make the local community a healthier, more vital place to live.”
“It is a great example of government and a local philanthropic organization working together to greatly enhance the community,” Councilwoman Alesia said. “The Junior League of Long Island has been instrumental in bringing this play area to fruition and the Town of Oyster Bay will maintain it for the enjoyment of its residents for years to come. It is truly a win-win for everyone.”
Councilwoman Alesia said she and her colleagues on the Oyster Bay Town Board are very proud of the Town’s commitment to providing recreational opportunities for children with special needs. “The Town’s new inclusive playground is just one of the many features that make the Town of Oyster Bay a great place to live and raise a family,” Councilwoman Alesia said. “We are happy to join with JLLI to create this comprehensive inclusive play space and social experience for all children. We fully expect it to provide years of fun while, at the same time, providing common ground between children of all abilities.”
About the Junior League of Long Island®
The Junior League of Long Island is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Tracing its origin’s to 1951, the Junior League of Long Island® has over 200 members in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Headquartered in the Village of Roslyn, the Junior League of Long Island® is affiliated with the Association of Junior Leagues International® an organization of 293 Leagues throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and England. The Junior League of Long Island® is designated as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Our purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. www.jlli.org