First Posted: 5/22/2014
Mckenna’s Place looks brand new.
A ribbon-cutting event last week unveiled a huge face lift accomplished with the help of Leadership Wilkes-Barre Class of 2014.
McKenna’s Place is a playground in Exeter designated for all children, including those with special needs.
A group from the 2014 Leadership class, calling themselves Swings & Things, chose the playground behind the Exeter Senior’s apartment complex on Schooley Avenue approximately 9-months ago and ever since then, it’s been full steam ahead.
“There’s a group of 11 of us in the Class of 2014 and Jim Andruskiewicz of the class knew Kate Mangan (an Exeter Kiwanian) and through discussions it evolved that there was this park and we got the history of the family and Mckenna’s Place and the history of the park,” classmate Jen Lombardo said. “We met with the family and started to work with them and just started to dream big.”
Mckenna’s Place is named after Mckenna Granahan, 9, daughter of Ken and Chris Granahan, Exeter. Mckenna was born with Pallister-Killian Mosaic Syndrome (PKMS), a rare chromosomal disorder that affects the many parts of the body. Since the discovery of PKMS in 1977, there have been only about 100 cases reported in medical literature.
Mckenna’s Place was born in August 2010 when Wyoming Area Kiwanis Club put forth a huge effort in raising over $56,000 to help get the project off the ground with the purchase of the jungle gym. Large donations in 2010 came from Pride Mobility and Keystone Automotive with $25,000 in a grant gained with the help of state Rep. Phyllis Mundy.
“My goal was always to have a place where all children can play together including children with special needs,” Mckenna’s mom Christine said. “It’s a win-win and that’s always what I wanted. You are going to have more children come to the park with the (special needs) swings and the sensory garden and more children can benefit and learn from each other.”
The Leadership project included new sidewalks, a sensory garden, handicapped accessible swing, and new fencing. Pride Mobility donated the handicapped swing.
“That experience of swinging … No child should not have the experience of swinging,” Granahan said.
The Swings & Things have taken the project to heart and plan on following up in the future with additional projects.
“We plan on building a pavilion in the future for shade,” Lombardo said.
Incoming Wyoming Area Kiwianis president, Mike Coolbaugh, is very happy with the refurbishment of the park.
“It was pretty much a joint project where we helped with manpower and the Kiwanis Club fencing for the former tennis court,” Coolbaugh said. “With the addition of the sidewalks, it’s truly a handicapped accessible park.”
Granahan is proud to see her vision turn into a reality.
“I’m just overwhelmed and grateful,” she said. “I just think everything happens for a reason and I met these amazing people and if you asked me right after she was born, I would have said you were crazy… It’s absolutely amazing.”
