Easter Seals House on Mount Scio Road will be the home of a new accessible play space for all children to play together.
Easter Seals NL had the opening for the Jeremy Cross Memorial Playground on Thursday. The play space was named in memory of the late Jeremy Cross, son of former Bonavista North MHA, Eli Cross.
"They would be in the classroom or in the library on hot days and say, 'wouldn't it be great if we could be outside now and swing or play or do something?" Cross said as he watched the children enjoy the playground. "The kids who were there for therapy would all agree, so they made a sort of pact that 'we're going to make a playground at Easter Seals.’ Unfortunately, before things really got going Jeremy had passed, but ... the people at Easter Seals kept his dream alive and this is unreal.
“He'll never die because he is in our hearts and he's here when people come to play and his name will be remembered forever," Cross added.
Jeremy lived with cerebral palsy, and could not speak or walk, but it did not hold him back. He worked at Easter Seals and visited many schools where he inspired children. Jeremy died in 2015 at age 29. The playground is accessible with play structures, a swing set, and picnic tables for all children and families, with and without disabilities, to play together.
Tina Peddle and Lourdes MacDonald's Grade 4 students went to the opening by invitation by Ashley Hanlon. One of the students owned a wheelchair, so the whole class came to the playground and played together.
The children sat in the back of the gym and restrained themselves to pointing at the new play space until the sign was unveiled and the playground opened. That was when they all ran to the playground.
The project started with a capital campaign called See ABILITY in disABILITY to make dreams come true. According to CEO Mark Bradbury, "a person with disabilities has less access to play and fun in a safe environment, and Easter Seals changed that."
Micheal Duffy and Denise Durfy Sheppard, who are on the Easter Seals board, said this playground was only Phase 1 of their plans to develop the program. There will be more changes to the area in the future.
The opening ceremony included representations from both the provincial and St. John's municipal government, along with volunteers such as Newfound Riders Craig Lockyer, Lang Manderson, and Mel Strong.
After the ceremony, Heather and David Pellegrinetti went to the accessibility playground to have fun with their son, Dante, who uses a wheelchair.
"We knew Jeremy. Jeremy was good friends with Dante. ... He was a good influence," Heather said, adding that Dante loved the playground so much that he said he wanted to take it to show-and-tell.
@MelissaEWong_
