About Us
Preston's H.O.P.E. is a playground for children with all levels of abilities and disabilities in Northeast Ohio. Located on the property of
The Mandel JCC, 26001 South Woodland Rd, Beachwood, OH 44122, the park is free and open to the public and maintained through your donations.
Open daily from 9 a.m. to dusk
Park areas include 'Imagination Village', with make-believe houses connected by a raised walkway, 'Play Theatre', 'Sand Area', as well as play areas with swings, tunnels, and slides that are appropriate for children from Preschool through School age. See the Attractions page for more details. Accessible restrooms are also available during the fair weather months.
The
Inspiration
The inspiration for Preston's H.O.P.E. came from very special friends and family of a little boy born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). They believed that if his dreams were to play in a park with all other kids, then there must be many, many other children with the same dream as well... they found out that there were over 26,000 kids in Cuyahoga County alone with some type of disability. Kids that wanted the opportunity to play with their brothers and sisters and their best friends... a place that was boundless. Many of these kids met one day and dreamed together the way Preston's H.O.P.E. should be. A place where you could get up high, feel movement, play things you've never been able to, or just be quiet if you want. And that is how it all started.
Then the real work began to make these dreams a reality.
Our
History
After seven years and almost $3,000,000 raised, the dream of creating Preston's H.O.P.E. finally became a reality.
Many of the playground's components were purchased through manufacturing vendors who installed their products while other items were custom designed exclusively for the Preston's H.O.P.E. project. Design direction was provided by RSA Architects, Inc., Dorsky Hodgson + Partners, and the landscape architectural firm of Cawrse & Associates. And the plan was evaluated by a professional playground architect.
The park is located on the property of and operated by the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood, Ohio, and is free and open to the public. We are honored that the Mandel J.C.C. has agreed to host Preston's H.O.P.E. as they share in our commitment to providing opportunities for children and their families who have a wide range of abilities. The J.C.C. also has committed to maintaining the playground to the highest standards with the support of an endowment fund for maintenance that will be provided through Preston's H.O.P.E.
Learn more about the need for accessible playgrounds
We need funds to operate and keep the park open for FREE to the community... and your donation will help.
The
Need
Research indicates that there are nearly 50,000 children with some type of disability in the northeast Ohio region, with 26,000 in Cuyahoga County alone. To ensure that we reach our intended community, we have formed alliances with local and regional agencies such as The March of Dimes, Youth Challenge, United Cerebral Palsy, the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center.
An accessible playground is an asset to the community and to the health and well being of all children. Until now, there was no such environment that provided accessible structures that were safe and secure for children utilizing special equipment such as crutches or wheelchairs or one that truly enables children with and without disabilities to play alongside one another, with opportunities for the development of self esteem and social skills will be nurtured through the environment as imaginative and cooperative play takes place. This play environment creates a setting for a positive family interaction while allowing disabled children and adults an opportunity to demonstrate their competencies, set goals and demonstrate accomplishments.
There is a great difference between accessible and disability/wheelchair friendly play. Most accessible playgrounds found today only provide a ramp, which requires a child to leave their support equipment behind in order to access the play structure.
A survey done by Boundless Playgrounds™ showed less than 10% of children with disabilities are able to leave their support equipment thus making play for them in existing playgrounds less than satisfying or gratifying.
Our 60,000 square foot outdoor play facility features playable areas for children with a wide variety of disabilities. The facility is available to children of all ages, religious, ethnic or racial backgrounds