ORANGE — The Butterfield Park Playground Committee plans to use its remaining state funding for a type of merry-go-round that accommodates wheelchairs. The committee also plans to begin fundraising for a wheelchair-accessible swing.
In 2016, the state matched a $21,000 town appropriation with a $50,000 grant for rehabilitation of Butterfield Park. After replacing all of the equipment that was broken or no longer considered safe by modern codes, the committee is left with about $4,100 that must be spent by the end of the fiscal year. Otherwise it is forfeited.
Committee members contacted various vendors about equipment prices, reaching out to area businesses and philanthropic organizations for fundraising, and got a quote for a fence repair. Committee Chairman Wally Herk also said he would reach out to resident Jean Sinclair, who had contacted him previously about the committee acquiring a wheelchair-accessible item for the park.
Town Community Development Administrator Adrienne Menges said she had received a quote for $3,200 to repair the sagging fence, which the committee felt was a little high. Instead, Herk suggested the committee purchase locally the materials needed themselves, and form a work crew to do the repair. The other committee members liked this idea too.
Committee member John Waters reached out to the two vendors the committee had previously worked with, and neither said they have a wheelchair-accessible swing, but they pointed him to the Liberty Swing. Waters looked into the Liberty Swing and presented his findings, noting the sticker shock of being more than $15,000, plus the cost of freight to ship the item from Australia and exchange rate that could drive the cost up even more.
Sinclair was present for a meeting Monday night and suggested the committee might consider the purchase of a “Sway Fun,” a type of swing that could accommodate two wheelchairs plus two large benches for other passengers, made by a Missouri company, and offered to contact the company for a quote.
Waters said the committee has received an anonymous donation of $1,000, but has been earmarked to only be used to offset the cost of a Ten Spin, a type of ADA-compliant merry-go-round that can fit up to 10 children.
Considering the options and the nearing deadline, Herk moved that the remaining money, minus the $1,000 donation, be used to purchase a Ten Spin from Miracle Recreation, leaving about $1,400 for repairs in the park.
Herk also proposed that the committee begin fundraising for a Sway Fun. He has already reached out to the Pioneer Junior Women’s Club, which agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds from a meat raffle being held on March 24 at 7 p.m., at the Orange Legion on Daniel Shays Highway (Route 202). The club is also planning to hold a tin can auction and is seeking prize donations for that table.
Sinclair said she will also set up a 120 Club raffle to help raise money.