By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
For volunteers with the Daisy Project, it’s all about inclusion for everybody.
The Shelby Township based non-profit raised over $3,500 earlier this month at their Second Annual Poker Pub Crawl in downtown Lake Orion, all of which will fund medical equipment and other recreational items for special needs families.
President of the Daisy Project is Lake Orion resident Kristi Schons. Her son Zander has cerebral palsy, and has fallen in love with the all-inclusive playground Let Them Play designed for people with special needs. Let Them Play is located at Friendship Park, and offers two fully accessible wheel chair swings, a music-maker called a Jam-Box, and other auto-sensory equipment.
It is all-inclusive equipment like the accessible swings that have inspired the Daisy Project to continue funding similar projects for all communities in Michigan.
The pub-crawl profits are earmarked for their next project, purchasing a Mobi-Mat for the beach at Stony Creek Metropark. Upon rolling it out, the long mat will allow wheelchairs and walkers access through the sand and the opportunity for everybody to have fun in the sun.
This was the Daisy Project’s first pub-crawl hosted in Lake Orion, and over 100 people played their hands at Lockharts BBQ, Sagebrush Cantina, Stockyard, and 51 North Brewery. The top hands received tickets to a Tiger’s game, a Made-In-Michigan basket, and a basket created by Prime Designs Salon in Rochester Hills.
It was a different audience for the nonprofit’s fundraiser, Schons said, which was good for her ultimate goal—to spread awareness.
“To spread more awareness of inclusion geared towards special needs, and also anyone that needs an adaptation to be able to access recreational activities, too. It’s all about inclusion,” she said.
The Daisy Project’s next fundraiser will be the LO Palooza community festival at the Orion Township Wildwood Amphitheater on September 10, featuring live music, kids activities, a beer tent, corn hole, and fireworks. The festival will run from noon until 9 p.m.
Schons is really hoping LO Palooza will garner enough funds to purchase an adaptive merry go round for the Let Them Play playground. The merry go round will be level with the ground, so wheelchairs can access it easily, and will include benches suited for their friends who can walk.
“Zander has never been on a merry go round. So many special needs kids haven’t. We are really hoping for that accessible one,” Schons said.