“Alotoflearningcomesthroughplay,”saysMardyMcGarry,52,whohasbeenaspecialeducationteacherfor28years.Butherstudentsweretoooftenleftout.Shehadseenthewoodchipsandsandoftraditionalplaygroundsstopwheelchair

　　“Alotoflearningcomesthroughplay,”saysMardyMcGarry,52,whohasbeenaspecialeducationteacherfor28years.Butherstudentsweretoooftenleftout.Shehadseenthewoodchipsandsandoftraditionalplaygroundsstopwheelchairsdeadintheirtracks.Whenshewantedtobuildaplaygroundforchildrenwithspecialneeds，sheknewitwouldn’ttakelongtodevelopinterestinitaroundthesmallfishingvillage.Butsheneverexpectedthat2,800people—athirdofthetown—wouldallbewillingtomakeagreatefforttobringhervisiontolife.

　　McGarrystarteddoingsomeresearchintoplayequipmentandcontactingdesigncompaniesandshealsofoundapieceoflandavailable.Whenthecitycouncil(市议会)agreedtosetasideanareaforaplayground,shealsoaskedphysicalandprofessionaltherapists(治疗专家)fortheirinvestment.Andsheturnedtoherfriend,Sue,forhelp.“Neitherofusisgoodatmaths,whichiswhy$450,000didn’tsoundlikealotofmoney,”McGarrysaysoftheinitialestimate.

　　HerKiwanisClubcamethroughwith$7,000，andthat’swhenthegrassrootsmovementreallygotstarted.Onewomangave$25,000andhadhercompanymatchit.Soon,smallerbusinesseswerejoiningin.Therewasasilentefforttocollectmoney.ThelocalPieperFamilyFoundationofferedtodonatehalfoftheremaining$170,000.AllMcGarryneededwas500volunteerstoworksix12-hourdays.

　　OnSeptember16,2008,thefirstdayofconstruction,theycame.Twowomenheardabouttheprojectonthewaytoworkandtookthedayofftohelp.Acoupleintheir80soperatedtheirtractors.Ten-year-oldsclearedupthemess.“Noneofthemwaspaid.Itwastrulyanamazingweek,”saysMcGarry.Onlythreebuildingmanagerswerepaid.Volunteerswith“buildingexperience”becamecoordinators(协调人);thosewhocouldoperatepowertoolsformedaseparategroup.Oneteamservedmealsdonatedfromlocalrestaurantsandchurches,andanotherorganizedactivitiesforthechildrenofvolunteers.

　　Today,PossibilityPlaygroundisoneofthemostpopulardestinationsinOzaukeeCounty.Allchildren,includingtheoneswithspecialneeds,playshouldertoshoulder.“Someplaygroundshavespecialequipmentinadifferentsection.Here,youseeallthekidsinthesameplayground,allhavingfun.”

　　It’sexactlywhatMcGarryim