'A place for families to connect': Work beginning on accessible playground in Lake Zurich

After a successful community fundraising effort, work will begin Friday to construct a $309,000 accessible playground for children with disabilities on the grounds of The Hope Collective church in Lake Zurich.

Children who use wheelchairs will have full access to the equipment, which includes a swing they can use without getting out of their wheelchairs. There will also be playground equipment for children with sensory disabilities such as blindness and for children who are not communicative.

Donna Riemer, an outreach pastor at Hope, said members of the community gave $172,000 toward the project.

"We have overflowing, grateful hearts that they caught the vision as well," Riemer said of the community support.

The playground will be called Peg's Park in honor of Peggy Britcliffe, who died in 2019 after a lifetime spent working with children with severe disabilities at Swedish Hospital in Chicago. Riemer said Britcliffe's trust contributed $137,000 to the project.

Riemer said a large donation came from one of Britcliffe's favorite child patients, Joey Lamothe. Lamothe, who is now 32, and his mother donated $50,000 to the park.

"It was an easy ask," Riemer said. "As some of the donors have said, this is a no-brainer. This is needed and appreciated."

The fundraising efforts included a lemonade stand run by children with disabilities that raised more than $3,204 on one rainy June day.

Riemer said organizers hope that the playground will also bring the parents together.

"One of our visions is to make a place for a community of parents who are usually isolated to form," Riemer said. "A place for families to connect."

Hope Collective donates space to the Center for Independence through Conductive Education, a nonprofit benefiting children with disabilities. Children come from far away to participate in the organization's programming.

Another group called Nathaniel's Hope also uses space at the Lake Zurich church to offer free programming, including a respite care service where parents can drop off their children for up to three hours.

The playground will not just be for the organizations housed at The Hope Collective. Riemer said any children with disabilities are welcome.

"There are no fences here," Riemer said.

A ribbon-cutting event to open the playground to the public is expected in October.

The initial estimated cost of the playground was about $250,000, but Riemer said the cost to pour concrete and other factors drove up the price tag.

Those interested in donating to fund future maintenance and upgrades can do so at thehopeco.com/give. The Hope Collective was formerly Alpine Chapel and is at 23153 W. Miller Road in Lake Zurich.