Rotary Clubs, City Will Build All-Abilities Playground In Bradenton’s Lewis Park

BRADENTON, FL — An all-inclusive playground experience is coming to Bradenton’s Lewis Park.

The project, a partnership between Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects, Inc. and Bradenton, will offer recreational and active-living opportunities to every child in the region, according to a news release from the city.

Once completed, the Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant playground will be the only playground of its kind in the area, serving children of all ages and abilities.

It will include two designated inclusive play areas — one for children ages 2 to 5 and another for those 5 to 12 — as well as a separate swing set.

No timeline has been announced for the construction of the playground. Learn more about the project here.

The project is spearheaded by Rotary Clubs of Manatee County, a network of several Rotary Club organizations based in the county. They received the official go-ahead for the playground in July, when the Bradenton City Council approved Mayor Gene Brown’s recommendation to move forward as a partner in the project.

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The total cost to develop the new playground in Lewis Park is estimated to be $415,000, Thomas Norton, chair of Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects, said.

Their fundraising campaign has received several enabling donations in the past several months, including major contributions from its Rotary partners and private family foundations based in the area.

“The entire Rotary Suncoast Playground Project team is profoundly grateful for every contribution, large and small, that we have received,” Norton said. “Our mission of providing an inclusive playground that every child can enjoy is becoming reality. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get closer to that goal.”