East Lyme Inclusive Playground Project Set For State Bond Commission Vote

EAST LYME, CT — The State Bond Commission is scheduled to vote Sept. 8 on $650,000 in state bond funding for the Miracle League of Southeastern Connecticut to build an inclusive playground at Flanders Elementary School in East Lyme, Gov. Ned Lamont announced.

Lamont, who chairs the commission, said the funding is intended to support a playground where children of different abilities, ages and developmental stages can play together.

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"Every child should have access to playgrounds that enhance their recreational and social opportunities, no matter their abilities," Lamont said in the release. "By partnering with the Miracle League of Southeastern Connecticut, our administration can help ensure that this needed project at East Lyme's Flanders Elementary School becomes a reality."

State Sen. Martha Marx, D-New London, said the project would serve families in East Lyme and beyond.

"Playgrounds are great for children, but we need playgrounds that are great for all children, not just some," Marx said in the release. "This playground will provide assurance to every family in East Lyme and beyond that their kids can get outside and play. That's a remarkable step."

The Miracle League of Southeastern Connecticut is a nonprofit organization that provides recreational, educational and cultural opportunities for children in southeastern Connecticut with physical, cognitive and developmental challenges, according to the release.

"This project is about much more than a playground. It is about inclusion, opportunity, and community," David Putnam, executive director of the Miracle League of Southeastern Connecticut, said in the release. "It will provide a place where families can come together, where children with and without disabilities can play side by side, and where everyone feels welcome."

The State Bond Commission is scheduled to vote on the funding at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8.