Local nonprofit Hope Included in partnership with Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors and Play & Park Structures Inc., a PlayCore company, have announced the redevelopment of Riverview Park, transforming the space into an inclusive park that is an open and safe space carefully designed to promote play among children of differing abilities, ages and communities.
On Thursday, Commissioner Brad Turner of the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities presented Hope Included with a $500,000 check as part of its inclusive playground and facility grant.
The nonprofit is one of seven organizations and communities across the state to receive this funding and is the sole recipient in Chattanooga.
In addition to designing the playground, Play & Park is providing a matching funds grant for the equipment. Riverview Park will be designated as a National Demonstration Site by PlayCore’s Center for Outreach Research and Education (“CORE”) in three areas: 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design, providing opportunities for physical, cognitive, communicative, social/emotional and sensory development; Play On!, focusing on overall physical fitness while imploring six essential elements of play; and NatureGrounds, incorporating nature into the playground experience.
Individual pledges and donations from the community have reached over $420,000. The remainder of the $1 million fundraising goal will be raised in the coming months to finalize the project with updates to the pavilion, landscaping and lighting. Construction is slated for completion in summer of 2024.
Nicolle McCoy founded Hope Included after the 2019 passing of her daughter, Hope, from a rare condition called Xia-Gibbs Syndrome. Its mission is to give all members of the community, regardless of ability, access to everything that makes us love where we live and do what we love.
Ms. McCoy said, “Riverview Park is where I took Hope to play during our six beautiful years together, and her physical and occupational therapists would use the park as a therapy site. We recognized the limitations of the park for children with disabilities and envisioned a more inclusive place to support the needs of all children. Now, our dream is becoming a reality.”
To donate and find more information about Hope Included, please visit www.hopeincluded.org.