By Jim Newell
Review Writer
Children with special needs can take a whirl on a new, specially designed merry-go-round at Friendship Park.
The Inclusive Whirl had its debut on Sunday during a special ceremony in which families and officials celebrated with a ribbon cutting.
“This wouldn’t be possible without all of our supporters…this started out as a little project,” said Orion Township resident Kristi Schons, president of The Daisy Project, who brought her special needs son Zander.
Schons was one of the founders of the Daisy Project and said Zander was the inspiration for the project.
The Daisy Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to obtain medical equipment and other recreational items for special needs families.
The Orion-based group holds the LO Palooza musical festival each year to help raise funds for special needs projects.
The group raised $25,000 to help fund the Inclusive Whirl, and the Orion Twp. board voted in September to provide another $25,000 to help with the costs.
“You don’t find this very often. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to bring your kid out to do this,” said Jim Klawitter who brought his special needs daughter, Riley, to the park.
Maureen Kijek, a founding board member of The Daisy Project, brought her son Drew to the park. “Just to be able to see them play and enjoy it with his peers and siblings. He’s still a child who enjoys all the things that other kids enjoy.”
Orion Twp. Parks Director Aaron Whatley said the concrete slab base was poured the week before, and then the Inclusive Whirl installed in time for the ceremony.
PlayWorld, an industry leader in creating inclusive play equipment so that children of all abilities can play together, specially designed the Inclusive Whirl, said Brion Kilpela, PlayWorld Mid-State distributor.
“I’ve been doing this for 18 years and I’ve never seen something like this yet,” Kilpela said.
“I’ve seen a lot of smiling faces. It gets you a little emotional when you see their faces light up. That’s what drives us, that’s our motivation,” he said.
“PlayWorld fully designed the first one of its kind in Michigan, if not in the U.S., and here it is. We have a great community. They’re very excited,” Whatley said.
“This was a really awesome joint effort and I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished here,” said Orion Twp. Supervisor Chris Barnett.
“The idea was to get the price point down so communities such as this could afford one,” Kilpela said.
Special needs accessible merry-go-rounds in Europe, for example, can cost $100,000 for the equipment and installation costs, Kilpela said. “We got this whole project in for under $50,000.”
“Orion Township has been really supportive,” Kijek said. “We can spend the day at the park and really enjoy it. People have come from all over for this. From Shelby Township, from Chesterfield and southern Macomb County as well.”
“We’re starting to become a destination for special needs children,” Whatley said, adding that a swing and the rocker at the park are also special needs accessible.
“Maybe a private school may have something like this, but for a public playground it’s pretty amazing,” he said.