KENOSHA — The Dream Playground at Petzke Park was built in just 10 days back in 2015, with more than 3,000 volunteers lending their hands. Its mission was simple: to make sure every child, no matter their ability, has a place to play.
“We live in a world where there are barriers for kids with disabilities or parents with disabilities,” said founder Tammy Conforti. “We just wanted to make sure that this playground was a barrier-free playground, so that nobody would be sitting on the sidelines watching other people play. We just wanted everyone to be able to play, no matter what their abilities were.”
The inspiration came from a young Kenosha girl named Amity, who uses a wheelchair.
Watch: Kenosha Dream Playground celebrates 10 years of inclusive play for children of all abilities
“I forgot what playground it was exactly, but it was accessible, and there was a ramp that I went down, and there was like one wood chip on the ground, and I went over it and face-planted and messed up my teeth and everything,” Amity Forsythe said. “So that was like our thing: we need an actual accessible playground.”
Amity was just 7 years old when the Dream Playground was built. Now 17, she said the space gave her a childhood full of friendship, laughter and belonging.
“There’s always a place for you,” Amity said. “Sometimes you have to fight for it, and sometimes you have to think of other things you have to do. There’s always going to be a place for you, no matter what.”
For Conforti, inclusion is still the driving force.
“To see an inclusive playground in every city and every state — they’re very costly,” Conforti said. “I believe that play is a basic right, and we don’t want children not to have the opportunity to play.”
The community will celebrate this Saturday at Petzke Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., marking a decade of a playground where kids of all abilities can play together. For more information, visit Dream Playground.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
