Evesham Township has been awarded a $731,000 grant to build a new playground at Evesboro Downs Park specifically for children and adults with disabilities.
The funds came from the 2024 New Jersey Green Acres Funding Program of the state Department of Environmental Protection, which has awarded more than $33.1 million in matching grants this year to 49 municipalities in 16 counties across the state.
Funding is also supported by New Jersey’s Jake’s law, which prioritizes and incentivizes applications to the program that seek funding for inclusive play areas.
The law refers to Jake’s Place, a playground in Cherry Hill that was created in honor of Jacob Cummings-Nasto, who passed away due to complications of heart surgery at 2 years old. The park was a preferred spot for Jake’s physical therapy.
Grant funding this year reflects a change in eligibility requirements for playgrounds in the Green Acres Program. In the 2023 funding year, only county governments could apply for funds, but this year, it was expanded to municipalities.
With that in mind, the township took advantage of the funding opportunity to support its “all-inclusive” approach to planning. Mayor Jaclyn Veasy noted that Evesham is grateful to all partners at the state level for recognizing the importance of inclusive play in the community.
“This new completely inclusive playground will not only provide a fun and engaging space for all children and their families, but it will also stand as a testament to our township’s continued dedication to inclusivity and accessibility,” she said.
The new play area at the park will be designed with standards that not only meet – but also generally exceed – those set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. They include multi-sensory recreation and eco-friendly equipment, percussion play, pour-in-place rubber safety surfacing and new benches.
Additional improvements will be made to the area near the playground, such as new walkways, detectable warning surfaces and traffic-marking symbols. It’s the township’s hope that the improvements will meet the growing demand for inclusive and accessible recreational areas in the community.
