Harckham Announces $250,000 in Funding for Yorktown Adaptive Use Playground

(Peekskill, NY) Senator Pete Harckham, 40th Senate District, alongside New York State Senator Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, announced today that he has secured $250,000 in State Aid to Municipalities funding for Yorktown, to build an an adaptive use playground for children with differing abilities. An adaptive use playground is built with a focus on wheelchair, ADA accessible and multisensory, developmentally friendly equipment, where children of all abilities can play together.

The playground will be built at Granite Knolls Park and will feature age and developmentally inclusive equipment that is sensory stimulating and universally designed.  

This is the third project funded by Senator Harckham to make children’s venues more accessible and inclusive. Earlier this summer, he announced a $15,000 grant to the Yorktown Community Nursery School to make walkways and entrances ADA compliant and a $25,000 grant to the Lakeland School District for an indoor playground for special needs students.

Senator Pete Harckham said, “I’m happy to support Yorktown by securing $250,000 for an Adaptive Use Playground for children with differing abilities. Supervisor Gilbert and the Yorktown Recreation Commission and Parks Department believe, as I do, that we are stronger when everyone has an equal opportunity to participate. When this project is completed, all children from northern Westchester will finally have a playground they can call home.” 

New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “I’m thrilled to join Senator Harckham today to announce funding for an Adaptive Use Playground at Yorktown's Granite Knolls Park. The ADA compliant, developmentally inclusive playground, when completed, will serve children of all abilities, ensuring every child the enjoyment of outdoor play. This is a win for New York families, and I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Harckham and the rest of the Democratic conference to make our great state inclusive for everyone.”

Yorktown Supervisor Ilan Gilbert said, “I am tremendously grateful to Senator Harckham and Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for procuring this grant to enable the construction of an Adaptive Use Playground at the Granite Knolls Park.  This will enable all children to enjoy the facilities with accessible play options and an appropriate rubberized tile surface in the play area. It is anticipated this will inspire children of all abilities and allow them to play together. This addition will further enhance our outstanding Granite Knolls facility.”

Yorktown Town Clerk and Chair of the Yorktown Recreation Commission, Diana Quast said, “This playground will create an environment where children of all abilities can play and grow together in the spirit of fun, exercise and comradery. Play areas should be designed as challenging as a child’s imagination."