Playground Opening Becomes Major Community Event
The Grand Opening Sept. 30, 2023, of the All-Inclusive Playground donated to Lake Monticello by the Lake Monticello Community Foundation turned into a major community event, attended by more than 100 residents, nearly half of them children who continued playing on the playground for hours after the ceremony itself.
“The best measure of this is the smile on the children’s faces,” LMOA President Larry Henson said after the ribbon cutting. “The community has been through some controversy, but this, today, is what Lake Monticello is all about. This is good stuff.”
The $100,000 extension to an existing playground at Lafayette Park includes pieces of equipment designed to be accessible to children with all levels of ability, plus a new composite surface that is accessible by children, parents and grandparents with mobility issues, while being able to protect children from falls, a fence and benches. It’s the first all-inclusive playground in central Virginia.
In her Grand Opening remarks, Foundation President Nancy Parsons thanked all the volunteers and donors who made the playground possible, the hundreds of LMOA residents who contributed, the LMOA board of directors and staff who “were very supportive of this project,” and the Foundation board who she said “worked tirelessly” during two years of fundraising to make the playground happen.
The event was covered by multiple media, including NBC29, CBS19 and the Fluvanna Review.
The grand opening attracted more than 100 residents, about half of them children, many of them who played on the playground for hours after the ceremony
Foundation President Nancy Parsons and a friend enjoy one of the playground's new benches.
Jennifer Kingrea Ruffner interviewed by NBC29 about the new playground she inspired
Foundation board members Scott Mein, Maureen Smith, Alan Stewart, Margaret Lowenstein, Carrol Kinsey, Joe Grubb, Nancy Parsons and Mike Feazel. Not pictured Jean Shore and Anne Stoppe
Foundation, Community Reach $100,000 Goal for Inclusive Playground
Two successful fundraisers over the weekend put the $100,000 fundraising campaign for the All-Inclusive Playground at Lake Monticello over the top, said Lake Monticello Community Foundation President Nancy Parsons. The playground is expected to open by mid-summer.
“When we started this playground project, I thought raising $100,000 for the All-Inclusive Playground was a really big challenge for a brand-new Foundation,” Parsons. “And here we are, just 18 months after this campaign started, with the $100,000 in hand to build the third All-Inclusive Playground in the entire state. How amazing is that?”
Big donations from Mill Creek Orthodontics, Gary Albert State Farm and Avenue Realty gave the campaign a good start, said Foundation board member Alan Stewart, but the whole community contributed. He said the Foundation, in anticipation of possible cost over-runs and for future projects, is still accepting donations.
“We are deeply grateful for the generosity of the hundreds of people in our community who gave donations of $5, $25 or $100, bought items at Foundation yard sales, supported charity tea parties, the Talent Show and Festival of Trees, participated in raffles, or just plain donated,” Parsons said. “This was truly a community-wide effort.”
The Lake Monticello Community Foundation is just getting started, said Secretary Maureen Smith: “After we catch our breath, we’ll be asking the community for ideas about what else we can do to make life better for Lake Monticello and Fluvanna County. We can’t wait to get started on our next project. We are definitely ‘Better. Together.’”
The successful weekend fundraisers were the conclusion of the Great Sunshine Getaway Raffle with the prize drawing Friday night at Cunningham Creek Winery, and a hugely successful tea party Saturday hosted by Lakers Brenda Alluisi and Carol Sorber.
Site preparation work has been completed for the playground at Lake Monticello’s Lafayette Park, and the main pieces of equipment delivered. The playground is awaiting equipment installation by the contractor, to be followed quickly by installation of the new, safe surface and fencing.
The Foundation Broke Ground
on the All-Inclusive Playground
March 17, 2023
Raising money to build the All-Inclusive Playground at Lake Monticello’s Lafayette Park was “a labor of love,” said Lake Monticello Community Foundation President Nancy Parsons at the groundbreaking ceremony Friday at the new playground, which is hoped to open by early summer.
“It’s love for the community and for the people in it,” Parsons said. Raising $100,000 to build the playground was “extremely ambitious for a brand-new foundation launched in the midst of a pandemic. But we did it based on our faith in the community and its people.”
“This is awesome,” said Lake Monticello Owners Association President Larry Henson. He said the groundbreaking was a result of “a lot of hard work,” noting the new playground is “specifically designed to remove physical and social barriers." The playground also is designed to be accessible by children whose parents or grandparents have physical limitations.
Parsons noted that, even though the Foundation has raised $92,000 of the $100,000 cost of the playground and expects to easily raise the rest through several fundraisers this spring, completion of the playground will depend on supply chain issues. She said the “optimistic” goal for finishing the playground is Memorial Day.
Imagine a Playground where Everyone Can Play!
Mission statement
Create a playground to brighten the lives of kids, parents and grandparents of all abilities
This project is inspired by Jennifer, a wheelchair-bound mother who can’t take her small children to the playground because it’s not fenced and the surfaces are too uneven for a wheelchair. Hundreds of children and adults in Fluvanna County have limited recreation access due to physical or other disabilities. We are raising money to build the first all-inclusive playground in the entire county to meet the needs of children of all abilities, as well as parents, grandparents and caregivers whose limits make it difficult for them to take children to a playground. This also enhances an existing playground, making it more attractive to all children. “This idea is just so inspirational,” said Jennifer Valentine, director of special education for Fluvanna Schools. “The positivity of this project is infectious, and we are very grateful for it,” said Tom Schauder, general manager of the Lake Monticello Owners Association. The project will cost $100,000, more than 2/3 of which is already raised.
Plans Developed to Give County Children Access to LMOA Inclusive Playground
LMOA is working with Fluvanna County Schools and the Lake Monticello Community Foundation to assure that special needs families from outside the Lake will be able to use the new All-Inclusive Playground at Lafayette Park when work on it is completed, said officials from LMOA and the Foundation.
“We are working with the county to identify special needs families who may access the All-inclusive Playground,” said LMOA General Manager Tom Schauder in his weekly GM Corner message.
LMOA and the Foundation have asked the schools to provide a list of special needs children in the county who could benefit from the new playground. The names will be added to the list of those who could be admitted through LMOA gates. The system would be similar to that for people outside the Lake who access The Pub, the golf course and the pool for swim team, and visitors would be limited to using the playground.
“We always planned for this All-Inclusive Playground to benefit children with special needs from throughout Fluvanna County,” said Foundation President Nancy Parsons. “We’re very pleased that LMOA agrees and that they’re providing a very effective and efficient way for those children to get access to the playground.”
Lake Monticello Community Foundation recently announced it had raised 70% of the $100,000 needed to pay for the All-Inclusive Playground, having achieved that in just eight months. It is launching a fund drive to raise the remaining $30,000, as well as scheduling a variety of fundraising activities, including a professional magic show Sept. 30 and a dock concert Aug. 6.
The key playground equipment has already been purchased and is scheduled to be delivered in October, when an official groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively planned.
Inclusive Playground Project FAQs
What is the fundraising campaign for?
The Lake Monticello Community Foundation is collaborating with Lake Monticello to convert the Lafayette playground into an all-inclusive, all-accessible playground where children, parents and grandparents of all abilities can visit in safety.
How much will the project cost?
The projected cost is $100,000, to be raised in its entirety by the Lake Monticello Community Foundation.
Will LMOA have to contribute to the playground?
LMOA is allowing us to build the additional facilities on its existing, available land adjacent to the existing playground. There is talk that LMOA staff may help with some work such as landscaping. Other than maintaining the playground, just as it does for all other playgrounds, LMOA will have no additional responsibility or cost for the project.
What will the $100,000 pay for?
The plan includes expanding and fencing the play area, resurfacing for maximum mobility for wheelchairs and other aids, and adding equipment that can be used by all.
Is there a need for an all-inclusive playground at Lake Monticello?
The Fluvanna County Schools recently identified more than 130 children in the Lake Monticello Community as having special needs. Also, some parents and grandparents have mobility issues, making it difficult if not impossible, to take young children to a playground that is not fenced or has an uneven surface. There are three playgrounds in the community, and, while they all include equipment that is ADA compliant, none is all-accessible.
Who else could benefit from the inclusive playground?
There are basically two large groups of people who could also benefit from the inclusive playground:
1) All children. The new inclusive playground equipment will be fun for all kids, not just those with physical or other disabilities. The new surface will be better and safer for all children – allowing children of all abilities to play together.
2) It will be much more convenient for parents and grandparents with physical challenges to take kids to the playground because the surface will accommodate wheelchairs or walkers, and the new fencing will make it easier for adults to keep track of the children.
Is a donation to the Lake Monticello Community Foundation tax-deductible?
Yes. The Lake Monticello Community Foundation is a 501 c 3, non-profit charitable organization incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Community Foundation has received a tax exempt determination from both the IRS and Virginia, stating that all contributions made to it are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Could I donate to directly to LMOA, instead of LMCF, and still take a tax deduction?
Individuals cannot take a tax deduction for donations to a Home Owners Association because HOAs are not 501 c 3 charitable organizations. You would have to check with LMOA about their policy for accepting donations.
But the Community Foundation is able to give to the LMOA?
Yes. As long as the donations meet its mission the Community Foundation can support LMOA’s efforts. Both LMOA and the Community Foundation have received legal opinions saying the LMOA could accept support from the Lake Monticello Community Foundation.