New fully inclusive playground opens in South Elgin

A fully inclusive playground that's been in the works for four years is now open in South Elgin.

The South Elgin Parks and Recreation Department, Village of South Elgin and the FUNdation — the nonprofit fundraising arm of the parks and recreation department — held a grand opening celebration Saturday for the new $1.3 million playground at SEBA Park, 151 S. Water St.

The plan for the playground, which is accessible to kids with disabilities, was hatched back in 2011. Over the years, scores of community members and village officials applied for state grants and raised funds. They were so dedicated to making the playground a reality that, when a $400,000 state grant was suspended in the spring, the village kept the project moving forward.

More than 300 people attended the opening Saturday to hear speeches by several community members dedicated to the project.

“It's nice that a town of this size can do something this big,” South Elgin Village President Steve Ward said.

Speakers and audience members frequently welled up with tears when telling and hearing the stories of the park's development from an idea to reality.

“The word I think of when I think of this park is ‘proud,'” said South Elgin Village Administrator Steven Super. “This is a community of good people, that when challenged, come together to make something like this happen that's going to impact thousands and thousands of children's lives. This is just incredible.”

After the speeches and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, kids charged onto the playground to try the equipment — and adults did, too.

For information about South Elgin Parks and Recreation Department, call (847) 622-0003 or visit southelgin.com.