Press Release Sample

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Inclusive Playground Opens at Freehold Township School that Allows Students of All Abilities to Play Together

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - May 25, 2019– Work has been completed on the first phase of a playground at C. Richard Applegate Elementary School that will become a place where children of all abilities can play together. A ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of the first phase of work on the Our Place 2 Play playground will take place at the school on June 12, 2019. 

The playground has wheelchair accessible equipment, interconnected slides and a mix of challenging and easily accessible equipment for students to enjoy. Additional phases will see the installation of music panels, a seated cup spinner, a Braille panel, a swing set and a rubber surface.

This new inclusive playground, where students of all abilities can play together, began with the vision of one very caring and determined individual, Suzanne Caracappa, who is one of Applegate’s physical therapists. It has been her vision and the unwavering commitment of parents, staff and students that has allowed this new playground to become a reality.

Funding for the playground came from many sources, including fundraising events at all of the Freehold Township schools; a donation from the Graeme Preston Foundation; the William Setaro Building Blocks for Education Grant Award; a donation provided by the CentraState Medical Center Rehabilitation Department; Applegate physical education teacher Ryan Eichner, who turned Jump Rope for Heart into Jump Rope to Play; the Reynolds family, which provided a partnership with the M4D3 custom shoe company that sponsored a significant donation to the playground; and a number of autism awareness events.

For more information about the opening of the Our Place 2 Play inclusive playground, please contact Brad Millaway, Principal of Applegate School at 732-431-5460.