A well-known local family is celebrating a milestone by opening a new fully accessible playground for London's children, including those with disabilities.
The new Hully Gully playground at Southwest Optimist Park was opened to the public on Sunday. A ribbon-cutting celebration was held before welcoming several children to play on the modern, fully accessible playground equipment.
Randy Collins, the CEO and co-founder of Hully Gully, said there are several pieces of playground equipment that are designed specifically for children with disabilities, including those with autism or mobility challenges. He said it was important to put their "best foot forward," by ensuring the playground equipment was accessible to as many children as possible.
"We're not all the same, but we believe we're all created equal and [should] have the same opportunities," said Collins.
The construction of the playground was made possible through a $175,000 donation from the Collins family and Hully Gully London, in honour of the business' 50th anniversary.
"We saw a lot of sadness in a lot of kids... not being able to go to school, not being able to play with one another and all that stuff that COVID brought on," said Collins following Sunday's ribbon-cutting ceremony. "It was all about putting smiles [back] on kids' faces and doing it in a way that will have a lasting effect,"
Collins said that when you watch children play on the equipment, their response is on their faces. That genuine reaction from those local children is very special, he added.
The playground took 27 days to build, between August 2-29, and marks the Collins family’s seventh playground built in London.
The grand opening of the playground was attended by several guests and speakers, including Ward 7 Councillor and Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan, Ward 10 Councillor Paul Van Meerbergen, and Dr. Beary Good, chief of hugs and high fives at the Children’s Health Foundation.
The Hully Gully playground at Southwest Optimist Park in London, August 29, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Abi Collins)