(City of Whitewater press release) October 28, 2020- The Whitewater Breakfast Kiwanis Club has initiated a project to enable children with disabilities to more fully enjoy the playground in Starin Park. Although the Kiwanis will be making a major contribution, the City of Whitewater is excited to partner with the club and the Whitewater Community Foundation to give residents a way to also play an important part in making this vision a reality.
The new piece of equipment is called a We-Go-Round, which is a merry-go-round designed to allow wheeled
mobility devices to fit in comfortably so all children can enjoy the experience. The We-Go-Round has a center
post wheel for all children to use and create the spinning motion from inside and outside.
The We-Go-Round encourages social play for all children as both riders and pushers while they cooperate to
make this a fun experience for all. The children pushing work on motor planning and coordination through
engagement of their muscles and joints. Kids can use motor skills of balance, along with core, lower and upper body strength. They will also use their cognitive skills for problem solving. This new equipment will bring imaginative play and the ability for all kids to socialize, no matter their degree of mobility.
“A huge thank you goes to the Kiwanis Club for wanting to add this fun piece of equipment to Starin Park,” said
Eric Boettcher, Parks and Recreation Director. “This new We-Go-Round will be a great addition allowing all
children to participate and enjoy the playground. That is exactly what a playground should be, a place for
everyone to enjoy their experience.”
The Whitewater Community Foundation has set up a fund for the project and donations can now be made. Donations may be tax deductible. It may be of interest to note that the CARES act permits eligible individuals who do not itemize deductions to deduct $300 of qualified charitable contributions as an “above-the-line” deduction, i.e., as an adjustment in determining adjusted gross income (AGI), for tax years beginning in 2020.To
donate, visit http://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/donate/. Click the Donate Now button and the site will
direct you to choose a dollar amount, how often you wish to donate and which cause you wish to support as
there are additional options for donations. Donors can also choose to share a note of why you are gifting the
money to the cause.
