Rotary Clubs of Wheaton Donate $20,000 to Play For All Playground & Garden Foundation

Rotary Clubs of Wheaton Donate $20,000 to Play For All Playground & Garden Foundation

Through the swirl of color in the air, runners and spectators at the Wheaton Park District’s Fun Run in Color 2017 on April 22 saw two oversized checks.

 

They represented a $20,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Wheaton to the Play For All Playground & Garden Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit developing the fully accessible Sensory Garden Playground at 2751 Navistar Dr. in Lisle. The funds will support efforts to build the playground’s next phase: a treehouse where children of all abilities can reach for the sky.

“It is all about service above self, the Rotary motto,” said Rotary Club of Wheaton AM member Jim Hebert. “The Fun Run [in Color] and other fundraising events enable us to effectively support many of our community not-for-profit organizations. We are especially pleased to support the Play For All [Playground & Garden] Foundation.”

Jim Hebert and Steve Charvat of the Wheaton Rotary Club presented their checks at the run’s after-party on Karlskoga Ave., which included DJ entertainment, vendors, post-race refreshments, and a series of final color throws. The race had kicked off at 9A with more than 1,000 runners and nearly 1,000 spectators, many dressed in colors drawing from all stripes of the rainbow.

Kristina Nemetz, Superintendent of Marketing & Special Events at the Wheaton Park District, said the district’s special events benefit the local economy and community.

“Each year, we give back more than $90,000 in event proceeds to nonprofits that make a difference in our community,” Nemetz said, “from CASA DuPage to The Cosley Foundation, Inc., DuPage County Historical Museum Foundation, Inc., and the Play For All Playground & Garden Foundation, in support of the Sensory Garden Playground.”

Charvat saw a chance to donate and have an impact.

“The Sensory Garden [Playground] project was a unique opportunity for our clubs to get behind from the very beginning,” he said. “Rotary prides itself on being part of a solution and making a difference in the lives of others. This project seemed ideal and we are pleased to be involved.”

Learn more about the Play For All Playground & Garden Foundation at playforalldupage.org.