Johnny Vaccino, also known as Bodie, enjoys the day Friday during a ground-breaking ceremony for a playground named in his honor at Eisenhower Park.

“We’re very grateful,” Lisa Vaccino said minutes before spades pierced the ground for an all-inclusive playground at Eisenhower Park. “After three years of working on this, now we’re going to see it happen.”

Bodies' Place will be a Boundless Playground and recreational area, incorporating multi-level, Boundless play structures designed for people of all abilities.

 

Johnny Vaccino, also known as Bodie, sat beside dignitaries, his family and playground supporters during a ground-breaking ceremony Friday at the park. He joined his mother and sister at a line of ceremonial shovels as they were raised to break ground on the project.

The playground is named for Johnny, who has cerebral palsy. His family started the effort to create a Boundless playground like one called Hannah's Dream in New Haven, three years ago with him in mind.

The Vaccinos became set on the project after they took their children to the Hannah's Dream playground, and Johnny was able to play with his sister, Emma, as if he had no limitations.

Lisa and her husband, John Vaccino, set a goal of $400,000 for the playground. The community rallied around them, and as of last week, they had pledges and donations totaling $325,000, enough they said, to get started.

The expansive playground, featuring slides, interactive play equipment and a special surface that wheelchairs can access, is expected to be complete in May.

Children of all abilities will be able to play together no matter how they learn or play, Bodie’s Place supporters explained as the effort progressed in the past years. Children with physical disabilities will have opportunities to build their strength by climbing, while those with cognitive disabilities will be challenged with sensory and cause/effect activities while playing with siblings and friends together.

“It has been truly a community effort to realize this dream of so many people,” said Mayor James Richetelli Jr. during a series of speeches Friday. “What was a dream has brought this community together.”

Former Speaker of the House James Amann agreed.

“With all the division we have in the nation, I’m always proud of Milford,” Amann said. “Thank you for allowing kids to be kids.”

A state bond, plus donations from churches, civic groups — including a $75,000 pledge from the Rotary Club — and businesses, like Montano Candy and Cigarettes, helped feed the playground fund.

State Sen. Gayle Slossberg was among state dignitaries to address a crowd gathered under darkening skies Friday afternoon. She pointed to the rain-threatening clouds and said the day was bright.

“It’s a bright, sunny day in Milford, Connecticut,” Slossberg said. “I don’t care what anyone says about the rain.”

She talked about exclusion, asking people in the crowd to remember a time from their youth when they tried to join a group of children playing, and for one reason or another were turned away.

“Today we remove all those obstacles and we say to every child, you are welcome. Come in and play,” Slossberg said.

State Rep. Paul Davis said the ground-breaking ceremony represented the achievement of an American dream.

“This is an American story, about people who had a dream, and [about the fact] that you can make that dream come true,” Davis said.

Tony Candido, chairman of Concerned Citizens for People with Disabilities, said his group was more than happy to get involved in promoting the construction of Bodie’s Place and pushing the cause.

Candido and his committee have found wheelchairs for people who needed them, arranged for construction of ramps for people with disabilities to be able to access their homes, and much more.

He praised the Vaccinos and their supporters for accomplishing such a huge goal.

“They took on something even government couldn’t’ do — and they did it because it’s in their hearts,” Candido said.

Eisenhower Park will lose one of its two handball courts currently located within the playground site, but two more will be built nearby. Play equipment currently located in the Bodie’s Place site will be moved to a new location.

Lisa Vaccino said the playground will not level any part of Eisenhower Park. The playground will take advantage of trees and the area's natural "hilliness," she said.

People can make donations by going to bodiesplace.org.

 

©Milford Mirror 2010