By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News
There was cause for celebration on Friday, May 30, as community leaders, business owners and citizens gathered together in Helper to commemorate the opening of the Helper Express All-Abilities playground.
Speaking on the occasion, Valorie Marietti stated,” It has been four years, with a lot of time put in. We are so excited to be here.”
Over the past year, the playground has received donations from organizations not just state and locally based, but also some national organizations, namely the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which donated $25,000 to the project. One of the most recent donations however, came from the Larry H. and Gail Miller Foundation as a $10,000 matching grant. “We’re finally getting some traction now, and we feel like we’re on our way.”
“I’ll tell you, having a special-needs child is very isolating. I’m so excited that we will have our families here in this area that they can all play together. Your regular kids can play with your kids who might have a mobility disorder or anything like that. It’s a kind thing,” said Marietti, speaking to Castle Country Radio. “I’m so excited to see these kids all play together. And it’s been a lot of work. It’s been four years of feeling like beating our head on a wall, but we’re finally getting there.”
Even with the grand opening, plans have already been made to add to the park.” We are not finished. We have not raised enough money to finish, and we will continue to raise funds … We do want to add sunshades and bathrooms at some point, as well as benches. At some point, we would like to add a memory garden where you can put your child’s name on a brick. We’ve got a lot of plans for this place.”
Marietti also shared that this project wouldn’t have been possible without the community’s support,” People here are unbelievably supportive. People ask me all the time how we get things done here. You can’t just take that anywhere and get the support. This is a Carbon County thing. People are supportive. We have each other’s backs here, and I’m so glad to live here.”
Donations are still being accepted for the playground and can be made through Venmo and PayPal under the username FriendsofHelper. Additionally, IgotPoop.com is hosting a giveaway for a 2024 RZR 200 EFI side-by-side. Tickets can be purchased online here.
The Helper Express All-Abilities playground is located at 380 South, 100 West in Helper, Utah.
Watch the full ribbon cutting here: