Wylie Community Built Playground Project

Tax Exempt 501(c)(3) Status Achieved!

Our Mission Statement
Our mission is to create a safe and accessible outdoor environment that fosters imaginative play and developmental learning for the children of Wylie and the neighboring communities while uniting and strengthening our community by utilizing volunteer labor and locally obtained materials in the Community-Built Process.

The Full Story
The Blackland Prairie Playground Foundation was established in May of 2003 to facilitate the process of organizing a community-built playground project in Wylie, Texas. Our Certificate of Incorporation was granted in July of 2003 by the State of Texas. We are organized under the Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act. We are a federally recognized 501(c)(3) tax exempt public charity. All donations are tax deductible. The cost of purchasing and having a prefabricated modular playground installed is staggering. By implementing the community-built approach we will be able to bring to Wylie a much larger, custom designed, unique playground that our community will be proud to say: “We raised the money, and we built it ourselves.”

We researched several companies that specialize in community-built projects and chose Leathers & Associates, Inc. to assist us in our efforts. Leathers & Associates is a design firm from Ithaca, New York. Robert Leathers originated the community-built approach and his firm remains the leader in the community-built field. Leathers and Associates has over 30 years experience working with over 1,600 communities throughout the United States, Canada and three other countries. All of their designs meet Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) guidelines, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. We are very excited to be working with them. Visit their website at www.leathersassociates.com to see their playgrounds.

There were three areas of concern about local playgrounds that we wanted to address. The first and most important is the lack of playground facilities in Wylie that will accommodate children of all abilities. Second, is the outrageously high cost of playground equipment. Finally, we want to bring a playground to the City of Wylie that will be an asset to the area, a playground that all of our children can enjoy and one that our community will be proud of for years to come.

All children love to play. But, Wylie’s playgrounds are not designed to accommodate all children, especially those with special needs. The playground we will design with our children will have many features that will benefit children of all abilities. Accessibility is the key. Included in the playground will also be an area specially designed for toddlers. It will feature lower levels and slides, and manipulative features to promote gross motor skill development. In addition there will be musical features, seating and shade structures, as well as a perimeter picket fence that will enclose the playground area.

Founders Park has been approved as the location for the new playground due to the amenities that already exist. The ample space, existing parking, water and electricity, bathroom facilities, are all key features that are not available as a whole at any other city park. Additionally, the new Pirate Stadium will overlook the playground structure which will include a large pirate ship along with many of the children’s ideas as part of it’s design. Future expansion of the playground is a possibility as well. The playground will be maintained by a joint effort between the Playground Foundation and the Wylie Parks and Recreation department.

Community involvement is crucial to the success of our playground project. The barn-raising approach of building the structure, the grass roots fund-raising, and the involvement of our children, require this to be a very cooperative effort. Donations, sponsors, and grants will fund the project. Volunteers will build the playground from the ground up. Our children will lead the way with their imaginations and their enthusiasm. We are currently organizing the core committees that will lead the effort. Any one interested in becoming involved with this exciting project should contact Anne Hiney - General Coordinator at 972-672-4133 or on our contact page.