Ground broken for all-inclusive playground
(Herald-Progress, November 19, 2007 Covered by DAN SHERRIER )

Five shovels dug into the dirt at Pole Green Park Saturday afternoon, marking the beginning of the construction process to build Hanover County's first handicap-accessible playground.

The playground has been the goal of Operation Hope since the nonprofit organization's inception by Dana Nelson and Katie Stilwell in 2004.

Components of the all-inclusive playground include: a rubberized surface, hard enough for wheelchairs to travel on but soft enough to protect children who stumble; swings children can be securely strapped into; ramps to make slides wheelchair-accessible; and more.

Numerous donors made the Nov. 10 groundbreaking ceremony possible, including a mix of private individuals, businesses, and civic organizations.

Among those organizations were the Hanover and Mechanicsville Rotary Clubs, which took part in the ceremony.

Dave Fuller, representing both rotary clubs, served as master of ceremonies for the event.

"We are here today to realize the dream," Fuller told a crowd of dozens. "We are here today to make a historic presence, for this is the first time that citizens have poised to assure that all children have access to childhood, regardless of ability or limitations. It is a time for children to be children."

Henry District Supervisor Chuck McGhee commented, "I am just so pleased that we are blessed with citizen groups, civic associations and people who are willing to go that extra mile so that collaboration not just becomes talk, but it turns into a reality."

Greg Sager, director of Hanover County Parks & Recreation, spoke next.

"As we gather today for this very exciting event, I am struck by the potential that this playground has not just for today's youth but for future generations," Sager said.

"Certainly everyday across this great nation, thousands of children are born, and of that number, there are a very select few special ones that come into this world, and these children, they're no different than any other child. They love, they learn, and they play, and the parents of those children are no different than any other parent.

"They want their children to enjoy every opportunity of their childhood, and to see and know the disappointment that those parents experience when they go to a park, and they go to a playground, and they see it's only for certain kids to play on, I think it just reinforces to them the challenges and the obstacles that they [and] their kids are going to endure, and with that I am extremely grateful to the effort of the officers, the volunteers, the donors and everyone associated with Operation Hope in removing that obstacle to having kids just be kids.

"I think it is wonderfully appropriate that this new playground will sit adjacent to the existing equipment that we already have here at Pole Green so that future generations of children play together, learn together, and enjoy the experiences of childhood together."

Stella Harden, a 4th-grade student at Rural Point Elementary School, addressed the crowd.

In an interview after the ceremony, Nelson credited Stella with increasing community interest in Operation Hope's mission. Stella took the initiative to hold a yard sale to raise funds for the playgrounds, after having been inspired by a friend with a physical disability.

After the organization's initial support had begun to fade, Stella's efforts caught the attention of Richmond International Raceway's president, Doug Fritz, motivating him to present a $1,000 check to Operation Hope. Numerous other organizations and individuals also began to contribute.

During the ceremony, Stella told the crowd, "If everybody just chips in a little money, then we can raise enough money to build both playgrounds."

Teelo Rutledge, president of the board of directors for Hanover Arc, said, "This is very important to us. It's a first step. Virginia's ranked 47th out of 50 in the United States in spending for mental retardation, so that is pretty bad, so these little steps that we're taking are going to make a difference in kid's lives and make a difference for the mentally handicapped."

The final speaker was Nelson himself. He thanked everyone who helped make the day possible. In particular, he singled out Stella, Stilwell, and Jane Warrick, founder of Chesterfield County's all-inclusive playground known as Katie & Friends, who "has been an inspiration" for Operation Hope.

"There's nothing ever in my life that I've been able to accomplish that wasn't a result of somebody there helping me, leading me, and that's what you are here today, to make this a reality. Thank you ever so much," Nelson said, adding that a ribbon-cutting ceremony should take place in a few months.

He concluded, "Thanks from the bottom of my heart."

McGhee, Rutledge, Stilwell, Stella, and rotary clubs representative Warren Rice performed the groundbreaking.

Afterward, Nelson explained that construction of the Poor Farm Park playground should begin before the completion of the Pole Green Park playground.

He said, "It will probably be next year this time before both are absolutely complete, but rather than doing everything here and leaving Ashland out, we're going to do a good part here, but then we're going to go to Ashland ... to be fair."

Operation Hope seeks to fund playgrounds for disabled children
(printed in the Herald-Progress and written by Dan Sherrier, May 31, 2007)

During the portion of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors meeting designated as "Citizens' Time," May 23, Dana Nelson approached the podium representing Operation Hope, an organization committed to building playgrounds for children with disabilities.

Specifically, Operation Hope intends to construct such playgrounds at Pole Green Park and Poor Farm Park as soon as sufficient funding is achieved.

Nelson stated, "I'm hoping perhaps in this coming year that there would be some help and support from the county. I do believe this is an important project."

Nelson explained that these playgrounds would benefit a few hundred children, which might seem to be a small portion of county's overall youth population. However, Nelson stressed that this minority is equally deserving of having access to quality recreational facilities.

"If you look at what we have today-the playgrounds, the athletic facilities, the recreation facilities-[there is] so much to the average young person and yet we have children who are just sitting there watching the others play," Nelson said.

"This is not a political issue. It's really not a monetary issue. It's more of an ethical issue," he added.

Nelson recounted to the board the story of a gentleman named William Horner who has two sons with disabilities. Both sons are in their twenties now, but Horner told Nelson that they were never able to play on a playground and participate in such activities with other children. Horner then made a contribution of $1,000 to Operation Hope.

"I don't think the average person realizes how many people we have within our community with disabilities," Nelson stated, who mentioned that many disabled children are home-schooled while many of the disabled adults become reclusive.

"So please, as we move forward with this year, if you find a source of some additional funds, please consider Operation Hope," Nelson concluded.

So far, according to Nelson, Operation Hope has raised just over $60,000. Additionally, the Hanover and Mechanicsville Rotaries have pledged $50,000 over the course of this year and next. The project also has the support of Cool Spring Elementary School and the Friends of Hanover.

Nelson reported that parks may cost approximately $150,000 each, which would cover not only the equipment but also a rubber surface "that is hard enough that the children can go across with a wheelchair but yet soft enough that if they fall, they won't get hurt. ... If we're going to do this, it needs to be done right."

South Anna Supervisor John Gordon stated, "I appreciate what [Dana Nelson] is doing for Hanover County, not only with regard to Operation Hope, but in many other regards, and I agree that this is an important project. The number may be small relative to the entire county, but it's still a number of people who don't currently have access. So I am certainly looking forward to working with Mr. Nelson in the next budget cycle."

County Administrator Cecil "Rhu" Harris commented, "There is very substantial support for this project and we're going to work very hard in the future to try to get some money in the budget on behalf of Operation Hope."

After Chairman Robert Setliff thanked Nelson for his efforts, Nelson stated that Operation Hope is "very meaningful to me, and the children are very, very special."

It began on Reily’s 8th grade birthday that the Pearce’s asked anyone who wanted to get her a birthday gift to donate the money to Operation Hope, a non-profit organization working to build two handicap accessible playgrounds to Hanover County. This would fulfill a dream for the Harden’s and the Pearce’s. Reily has Rett Syndrome, which has left her wheelchair bound, and non-verbal, making it impossible for the two girls to play on a regular playground.

President of RIR, Doug Fritz, was inspired to make a larger donation to Operation Hope’s handicap accessible playground after reading Stella and Reily’s story. Mr. Fritz met Stella Harden, Reily Pearce, Dana Nelson and Sharon Kingsbury with Operation Hope at Pole Green Park, where he handed the girl’s a check of $1,000 for Operation Hope Playground, the first all-inclusive playground going in Pole Green Park.