SAN ANTONIO – Arnold Park opened its new accessible playground with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community event on Monday.
The new playground was a collaboration between the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, H-E-B and KABOOM!
Adriana Rocha Garcia, District 4 councilwoman, stressed the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in the community.
“One in every seven residents in San Antonio has a certain kind of issue that does not allow them to fully use mobility,” Garcia said. “In my district, one in every four people have some kind of different abilities. So we have to make sure that they’re included and they feel like they’re a part of the community.”
Adrianna Aguilar, a parent attending the event with her daughter, gave her perspective on the park and the social interactions it can provide.
“There’s so many kids here, and they get the opportunity to interact and learn from each other. [My daughter] gets to learn something from someone else that I don’t teach her,” Aguilar said. “And the great things that they have all around the park are really good for parents to interact with their children as well.”
While the inaugural event took place this week, the playground itself was finished and built in just one day on May 23.
Over 100 H-E-B employees volunteered that day to help bring the playground to life. However, while the construction itself only took a day, the process before that took much longer, according to Monica Garza, a public affairs official for H-E-B.
“For about two or three months, we were conceptualizing, working with the community of families and children, to share their ideas on what this playground could look like. Then, the volunteers brought that playground to life on May 23,” Garza said.
Along with financial and volunteer support, H-E-B also donated an additional $36,000 to the San Antonio Parks Foundation for community summer programs.
“At H-E-B, it’s really important to us to support all Texans and the families in our community. We always want there to be a safe place where kids and families can come together,” Garza said. “We really hope this will be a community space where folks can join together, where they can learn and grow, maybe take part in the summer programs here at the community center.”