- May 16, 2024
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Parish resident Jace Vestal, 4, has been waiting for the playground to open.
Photo by Lesley DwyerParrish resident Hudson Vestal explores the new playground.
Photo by LESLEY DWYERAktion Club member Matthew Griffin tries out the zip line.
Photo by Lesley DwyerParrish resident Jeff Kukulka, 2, makes his way through the new playground equipment at Tom Bennett Park.
Photo by LESLEY DWYERParrish resident Jane Kukulka, 5, visits the new playground with her little brother Jeff and her dad Ryan.
Photo by Lesley DwyerPalmetto resident Liam Dowdy tries out the swings.
Photo by Lesley DwyerTwo-year-old Kehlani Brown practices her driving.
Photo by Lesley DwyerKiwanis members Jeremy Riehl, Ken Christy and Susan Agruso dance along to the "Tooty Ta."
Photo by Lesley DwyerAktion Club member Carol Aupperle performs with the club during the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Photo by Lesley DwyerNatalie Pernia performs a solo on the air guitar during "Don't Stop Believing."
Photo by Lesley DwyerPast and current Kiwanis presidents Neil Unruh and Andy Minor cut the ribbon on the playground as they're surrounded by Kiwanis members and county commissioners.
Photo by Lesley DwyerRickena Gissendanner gets a ride on the merry-go-round.
Photo by Lesley DwyerThe playground at Tom Bennett park is open. A splash pad will follow in the fall.
Photo by LESLEY DWYERCommunication Division Manager Casey Zempel tests out the talk tubes.
Photo by Lesley DwyerKiwanis Governor-elect Jeremy Riehl climbs to the top of the jungle gym.
Photo by Lesley DwyerThe playground at Tom Bennett Park opens on April 24.
Photo by Lesley DwyerWhen the Bradenton Kiwanis Club said it wanted to build a playground for all, it meant all children.
But the new playground at Tom Bennett Park is so cool that the adults took turns on the equipment, too. Manatee County held a grand opening for the playground April 24.
Communication Division Manager Casey Zempel was testing out the talk tubes with a coworker who was on the other side of the jungle gym, while Kiwanis Governor-elect Jeremy Riehl climbed to the top of the jungle gym.
The zip lines were occupied by children most of the morning. When Manatee County Commission Chair Mike Rahn saw both seats empty, he beelined from an adult conversation under the pavilion across the playground.
Once seated, he zipped across the playground and back.
What makes the playground at Tom Bennett Park exciting for children and adults alike is that it is fully accessible to those with disabilities.
Rickena Gissendanner uses a wheelchair, but had no trouble spinning on the merry-go-round.
Denise Griffin loves the padded artificial turf because walking doesn't come easy to her son Matthew.
“I don’t have to worry as much because he’s safe,” Griffin said. “He trips and falls a lot, so this padding will be nice and helpful.”
Matthew Griffin is a member of the Kiwanis Aktion Club. As with any other Kiwanis Club, members learn leadership skills and serve the community.
Aktion Club members performed three songs at the grand opening. The second song, “Tooty Ta,” was unfamiliar to most people in the audience, but that didn’t stop anyone from putting their thumbs up and sticking their tongues out as the lyrics instructed them to do.
Club Advisor Jessica Kruse said the purpose of “Tooty Ta” is to show off your inner child and step outside your comfort zone.
“These folks have to do it every single day,” Kruse said. “If you’ve got special needs, you’re outside your comfort zone.”
